UC-NRLF 


BONDAGE 

A 

MKDBA3L  EH 

SANCTIONED    BY    THE 

SCKIFTUMES 

OF    THE 

AIT®  if  3HF 

D  'THE 

AND  PRACTICE 

OF  THE 

SAVIOUR 


BY  A  SOUTHERN  FARMER. 


Abraham,  the  father  of  the  faithful  and  the  friend  of  Gad  and  man  was  a  slave 
owner.  Genesis  14 ;  14. 

The  beet  man  that  the  Saviour  found  in  all  Israel  was  a  slave-owner.    Matt.  8  /  10 . 

St.  Paul  rejoiced  that  there  was  a  hope  laid  up  in  he'aven  for  slave-owners.  CoJ- 
etsiana  1  ;  1,  3, 


,MACON: 

PRINTED  BY  GRIFFIN  <fo  PURSE. 


1837. 


To  the  honest  YEOMANRY  of  the  South 
ern  States,  the  following  pages  are  dedicated  by 
their  fellow-citizen. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


[Copy  RIGHT  SECURED.] 


WHEN  the  destiny  of  millions  is  suspended  on  the 
adoption  of  a  sentiment  said  to  be  moral,  it  becomes 
the  duty  of  the  most  humble  citizen  to  enquire  wheth 
er  indeed  it  be  founded  on  truth.  That  such  a  senti 
ment  pervades  our  country,  is  obvious  to  all  who  have 
read  the  moral  essays  of  the  Abolitionists,  and  marked 
their  unhallowed  influence  on  the  minds  of  the  credu 
lous.  No  circumstances  however  delicate,  nor  events 
however  perilous,  have  prevented  them  from  affirming 
that  u  neither  the  New-Testament  Scriptures,  nor  the 
preaching  and  practice  of  our  Lord  and  his  Apostles 
will  justify  slavery."  Nor  have  they  been  idle  ID  their 
efforts  to  secure  the  patronage  of  the  virtuous  and  tal 
ented  in  the  publicity  of  the  sentiment.  The  Press 
has  announced  it  as  sacred  truth — the  minister  of  God 
has  hailed  it  as  the  messenger  of  Heaven  to  the  slave  ; 
and  the  Statesman  has  laid  it  on  the  Altar  of  his  coun 
try,  invoking  the  genius  of  Liberty  to  sanctify  the 
offering.  Under  such  circumstances,  modesty  would 
seem  to  forbid  the  humble  farmer  to  utter  a  word  ;  but 
viewing  the  sentiment  as  a  reflection  on  the  wisdom  and 
piety  of  our  fathers  who  framed  the  Constitutional 


Compact  'cf  our  country,  he  could  not  subscribe  to 
the  sanctity  of  its  character,  until  he  had  searched  the 
Scriptures  and  found  it  written  in  letters  intelligible. 
He  has  searched  them  most  carefully  and  the  result 
of  his  researches  is  offered  to  the  public  in  the  follow 
ing  pages. 

In  the  adoption  of  the  sentiment  "  neither  the  New 
Testament  Scriptures,  nor  the  preaching  and  practice  of 
our  Lord  and  his  Apostles,  will  justify  slavery"  the  vota 
ries  of  emancipation  seem  to  have  lost  sight  of  the  con 
flict  with  which  it  involves  the  moral  laws  of  the  Old 
and  New  Testaments.  The  words  are  so  arranged 
as  to  admit  the  conclusion,  that  the  Old  Testament 
Scriptures  do  justify  slavery ;  and  if  according  to  their 
declarations,  "  Slavery  is  a  moral  evil,  for  which  human 
ity  blushes  and  the  angel  of  mercy  weeps"  then  the  mor 
al  law  of  the  Old  Testament  sanctions  a  moral  evil, 
which  humanity,  mercy  and  the  New  Testament  Scrip 
tures  condemn.  Nor  does  the  absurdity  of  the  senti 
ment  rest  here — it  implies  that  the  HOLY  TRIUNE  GOD 
who  inspired  the  patriarchs  and  prophets  with  the  purest 
principles  of  piety,  did  not  only  permit  them  to  live  in 
the  perpetration  of  the  moral  evil,  but  decreed,  that 
for  "  the  poor  unfortunate  slave?  the  dictates' of  humani 
ty  should  not  be  felt,  nor  the  voice  of  mercy  heard., 
until  the  days  of  the  Abolitionists  :  for  Abraham,  with 
all  his  sterling  virtues  and  holy  faith,  seemed  to  have 
been  a  stranger  to  the  warm  pulsations  of  that  humani 
ty  with  which  their  bosoms  throb  ;  and  the  angel  of  mer 
cy  who  permited  him  to  bequeath  his  bond-servants  to 
Isaac  and  sustained  his  immortal  spirit  in  its  last  con 
flict,  must  either  have  forgottonto  admonish  the  Patri- 


arch  of  the  wicked  deed,  or  reserved  for  the  present  gen 
eration,  the  more  melting  sounds  of  his  voice  :  strange 
divinity  this,  but  it  is  as  plainly  written  in  the  moral  es 
says  of  the  Abolitionists,  as  the  perpetual  bondage  of 
the  descendants  of  Ham  is  revealed  and  sanctioned  in 
the  Koly  Scriptures. 

Moses,  we  are  told,  possessed  in  an  eminent  degree 
the  principles  of  philanthropy.  Ho  communed  with 
his  maker,  and  on  the  Holy  Mount  where  he  was  con 
secrated  the  first  Law-giver  of  the  human  family, 
received  such  instructions  as  INFINITE  WISDOM  perceiv 
ed  would  best  promote  their  present  and  future  happi 
ness.  And  did  he  grant  unto  the  Israelites  the  moral 
right  to  hold  the  descendants  of  Hain  in  bondage  ? 
Hear  his  words  :  "  And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  in 
Mount  Sinai,  sayinz :  if  thy  brother  that  dwelletli  by 
the?,  be  waxen  poor,  and  be  sold  unto  thee,  thou  shall 
not  compel  him  to  servo  as  a  bend  servant;  but  as  a 
hiredservant,  and  a  gbjourner,  he  shall  be  with  thee  and 
shall  servo  thee  unto  the  year  of  Jubilee ;  and  then 
shall  ho  depart  from  thee,  both  he  and  his  children 
with  him,  and  shall  return  unto  his  own  family,  and  un 
to  the  possession  of  his  fathers  shall  he  return. 

Both  thy  bondmen  and  thy  bondmaids  which  thou  ; 
shalt  have,  shall  be  of  the  Heathen  that   are  round ; 
about  you ;  of  them  shall  ye  buy  bondmen  and  bond 
maids.     Moreover,  of  the  children   of  the  strangers 
that  do  sojourn  among  you,  of  them  shall  you  buy,  and 
of  their  families  that  are  with  you,  which  they  begat  in 
your  land  ;  and  they  shall  be  your  possession  ;  and  ye 
shall  take  them  as  an  inheritance  for  your  children  af 
ter  you,  to  inherit  for  a  possession  ;  they  shall  be  your 


bondmen  forever."  *  Can  language  be  more  emphatic 
than  this  ?  where  in  all  the  vocabularies  of  earth  can 
words  be  selected,  which  more  clearly  justify  perpetu 
al  bondage  ?  But  we  are  told  that  the  woidforevci  with 
which  this  moral  and  legal  instrument  concludes, 
"  should  not  be  construed  literally  but  definitely,  for  tho 
institution  of  Jubilee  was  specially  designed  to  break 
the  fetters  of  bondage."  By  what  authority  this  re 
mark  can  be  applied  to  the  descendants  of  Ham,  we  are 
at  a  loss  to  conjecture.  With  the  most  careful  peru 
sal  of  the  writings  of  Moses  and  the  Prophets  we  have 
not  been  able  to  discover  any  other  distinction  between 
the  bondage  of  the  poorer  class  of  Israelites  and  that 
of  the  Heathen  and  Stranger,  than  is  recorded  in  the 
words  we  have  quoted:  the  former  were  released  from 
their  bonds  in  the  year  of  Jubilee,  but  not  the  latter ; 
thus  fulfilling  as  early  as  the  days  of  Moses,  and  from 
thence  to  the  present  period,  the  dying  but  prophetic 
words  of  the  Patriarch  Noah,  "  God  shall  enlarge  Ja- 
pheth,  and  he  shall  dwell  in  the  tents  of  Shem ;  and 
Canaan  shall  be  his  servant."  t 

But "  this  distinction  between  the  creatures  of  a  just 
and  merciful  creator,"  is  said  to  be  "  at  war  with  all 
his  moral  attributes,  consequently  slavery  cannot  be 
right."  That  such  an  objection,  involving  so  many  ex 
tremely  delicate  illusions,  should  be  offered  by  those 
who  have  but  little  regard  for  either  the  attributes  of 
Deity  or  the  precepts  of  his  word,  is  not  astonishing ; 
but  that  it  should  be  advocated  by  those  who  minister 
at  the  Altar,  and  whose  business  is-  to  defend  the  pre- 

*  Leviticus,  Chapter  25. 
t  <ycn<;*i.«,  Chapter  0  ;  v.  27. 


cepts  and  institutions  of  the  Bible,  is  truly  marvelous. 
If  the  distinction  on  which  the  objection  rests  be  a 
reflection  on  the  attributes  of  Deity,  it  is  also  a  reflec 
tion  on  his  word  and  will  which  sanction  it ;  conse 
quently,  his  word  and  will  are  arrayed  against  his  at 
tributes,  by  the  moral  logic  of  the  Abolitionists.  A 
sad  dilemna  this  in  which  the  Priests  have  involved 
themselves,  for  they  have  invariably  taught  us  that  there 
is  no  conflict  whatever  between  the  word  and  will,  and 
attributes  of  Jehovah,  but  the  most  perfect  harmony ; 
otherwise  the  whole  moral  Code  would  be  imperfect 
and  consequently  beneath  the  esteem  of  man.  If  this 
be  moral  truth,  and  who  can  doubt  it?  by  what  authori 
ty  will  they  affirm  that  the  bondage  entailed  on  the 
descendants  of  Ham,  under  sanction  of  the  word 
and  will  of  God,  "  is  at  war  with  his  moral  attributes?" 
We  leave  the  solution  of  this  problem,  to  the  morbid 
mind  that  conceived  it,  not  however  without  a  word 
in  reply  to  the  objection  on  which  it  is  founded.  That, 
we  conceive,  rests  upon  a  contracted  view  both  of  the 
agency  of  man,  and  the  purposes  of  Deity.  If  we  seek 
instruction  from  the  precepts  of  the  moral  law,  we 
learn  that  the  great  Creator  of  the  Universe  is  not 
accountable  for  that  deficiency  of  human  intellect, 
which  distinguish  so  many  of  his  creatures  and  from 
whence  spring  the  ills  of  poverty  and  want :  and  from 
them  we  also  learn,  that  in  all  the  dispensations  of  a 
merciful  providence,  our  eternal  felicity  is  regarded 
with  a  more  compassionate  eye  than  our  present  com 
fort  ;  hence  the  stations  we  occupy  and  the  spheres  in 
which  we  move,  are  not  to  be  received  as  evidences 
either  of  his  approbation  or  disapprobation.  His  om- 


nlscicnce  is  as  boundless  as  his  mercy,  and  if  IFINITH 
WISDOM  perceived  that  the  capacities  of  the  "  Heathen 
and  Stranger'  would  not  permit  them  to  provide  for 
their  necessities,  INFINITE  MERCY  could  but  provide 
masters  for  them,  and  if  infinite  wisdom  perceived 
that  the  condition  of  bondage  would  better  secure 
their  eternal  felicity,  JUSTICE  and  MERCY  could  but 
sanction  the  deed. 

With  this  view  of  the  subject,  we  can  perceive  no 
conflict  whatever  between  the  word,  and  will,  and  at 
tributes  of  Deity  in  the  permission  of  slavery.  Could  it 
be  proven  that  its  subjects  were  thereby  excluded  from 
the  means  of  grace  and  their  condition  rendered  more 
intolerable  by  their  bonds,  the  morality  of  the  institu 
tion  might  be  questioned ;  but  the  history  of  the  Pat 
riarchs  and  Prophets,  is  replete  with  evidences  to  the 
contrary  of  this,  nor  is  there  an  instance  recorded,  of 
that  rebellious  spirit  among  their  slaves,  which  is  said 
to  be  produced  "  by  the  iron  hand  of  bondage."  They 
had  once  enjoyed  freedom,  and  with  all  its  "munificent 
gifts,"  they  could  but  sip  of  the  bitter  cup  of  poverty 
and  realize  in  the  cries  of  their  hungry  little  ones,  its 
heart-rending  ills — now,  their  bread  was  given  them, 
their  wants  supplied,  and  they  gave  thanks  to  Heaven 
for  the  ample  provision.  Would  they  have  exchanged 
their  condition,  for  the  priviliges  now  granted  to  the 
peasantry  of  enlightened  England?  It  is  hardly  proba 
ble :  nor  is  it  probable  that  the  slaves  of  Baoz,  would 
have  exchanged  their  servitude  for  that  imposed  upon 
the  hired  servants  of  the  Abolitionists.  Why  then 
should  the  voice  of  humanity  be  roused  to  plead  the 
injustice  of  God  and  man  in  the  institution  of  bondage? 


Is  it  iurloed  nu  act  of  inhumanity  to  meliorate  the 
dition  .ri  beings'  We  appeal  to teason  and  inspfc 

ration  for  the  r<  ply,  and  proceed  to  the  second  part  at" 

our  argument. 

If  "  neither  tlic  New  Testament  Scriptures^  nor  the 
j«  aching  and  practice  of  our  Lord  and  Jus  Apostles  w ill 
.jut* 'j]l  slavery ,"  they  must  condemn  it,  and  whatever 
our  Lord  and  his  apostles  condemn,  every  good  man 
should  also  condemn,  Tims  the  Abolitionists  reason^ 
a:  1  according  to  their  premises  they  reason  correct* 
]  •!  'at  are  \  •  s<  s  correct?  We  uisw^r  in  the 

n.-rntive:  th/To  is-  not  a  prec--^i  :n  the  writings  of  the 
Saviour  and  his  Apostles  which  denounces  the  morali 
ty  of  the  institution  of  slavery  established  in  t.h~  <ir<ys 
€»\'  Moses;  on  the  contrary,- we  find  the  moral  right  to 
oun  slaves,  justified  by  the  act  of  the  Saviour  and  his 
apostles  receiving  slave-owners  in  the  church  and 
greeting  them  as  brethren  in  the  faith.-  Can  thi.3 
be  denied  ?  In  the  face  of  truth  and  evidence,  it  has 
been  denied:  some  of  the  philanthropists  of  the  pres^ 
ent  age,  have  assumed  the  right  to  say  that  "the  condt- 
$on  of  the  Roman  slaves  was  nothing  more  than  that 
•f  hirelings,"  and  the  more  effectually  to  impose  this* 
specious  illusion  on  the  minds  of  the  credulous,  they 
h'ive  asserted  that  "  the  word  slave  appertaining  to  the 
condition  of  our  slaves^  is  not  to  be  found  in  tlie  New 
Testament."  Into  what  mazes  of  error  may  not  the 
uiind  of  man  be  driven  in  support  of  a  false  -position,- 
If  the  testimony  of  the  best  historians  is  to  be  reject 
ed,  if  the  "galling  yoke  of  Roman  bondage"  of  which 
•fli  y  speak,  be  ino  <  ve  be.^  leave  'o  -ssk 

votaries  of  emancipation  for  a  literal  definition  &$ 


10 

the  original  word,  Doulos,  translated  servant  in  the 
Scriptures  of  the  New  Testament.  We  have  endeav 
oured  to  consult  the  best  lexicographers  and  from  them 
we  derive  authority  to  say,  that  the  more  correct  trans 
lation,  is  slave ;  and  this  opinion  is  sustained  by  the 
distinction  which  the  sacred  writ  rs  have  invariably 
marked  between  the  origin  d  words  Didaskalos  and 
Bcspotas,  both  of  which  are  translated  master  in  our 
yersion.  In  the  Gospel  recorded  by  the  four  Evan 
gelists  and  in  other  parts  of  the  New  Testament  Scrip 
tures  where  the  word  master  is  used  to  designate  a  lord 
or  officer  of  the  Roman  Empire,  the  original  is  Di 
daskalos  ;  and  wherever  the  word  implies  a  relation  to 
servants,  the  original  is  Despotas,  the  literal  interpre 
tation  of  which  is  a  Despot,  the  peculiar  characteristic 
o!  a  Roman  slave-owner.  On  such  authority  we  as 
sume  our  position;  and  until  it  can  be  proven  that  the 
whole  Roman  history  is  a  farce  and  its  authors  deserve 
to  be  numbered  among  the  fabulous,  we  shall  con 
tinue  to  believe  that  St.  Paul  in  the  following  words 
addressed  slaves  whose  masters  were  members  of  the 
Church  of  Christ — "  Let  as  many  servants  as  are  under 
the  yoke,  count  their  own  masters  worthy  of  all  honor ; 
that  the  name  of  God  and  his  doctrine  be  not  blasphem 
ed.  And  they  that  have  believing  masters,  let  tbein  not 
despise  them  because  they  are  Brethren ;  but  rather 
do  them  service,  because  they  are  faithful  and  beloved 
partakers  of  the  benefit.  These  things  teach  and  ex 
hort."  * 

If  we  are  not  mistaken,  those  words  of  St.  Paul 
were  addressed  to  the  slaves  of  Rome,  by  the  hand  of 

*  Timothy  6th  Chapter  1-2. 


11 

Timothy,  who  was  sent  to  visit  them  in  the  character 
of  a  missionary.  Ti'ie  heart  of  the  Apostle  burned 
with  a  holy  zeal  for  that  class  of  human  beings  The 
first  to  appeal  to  the  humanity  of  their  masters  for 
their  temporal  comfort,  he  was  not  the  last  to  cherish 
the  most  compassion  ue  regard  for  their  ctcru 
licity.  Nor  did  ae  s  irink  from  the  duty  of  exposing 
the  crimes  ol  each.  No  circumstances,  "neither 
stripes,  nor  bonds,  nor  imprisonment,*  could  deter 
him  from  declaring  "tlie  whole  counsel  of  God"'  and 
exposing  the  moral  errors  of  man  wherever  he  discov 
ered  them.  What  then  but  precepts  of  the  purest 
morality  could  have  been  expected  from  him  in  a 
charge  involving  the  eternal  interests  of  the  slave — 
Let  us  analyze  ins  words,  that  we  may  correctly  as 
certain  his  view  of  their  moral  obligations  to  their 
masters.  "  Let  as  many  servants  as  are  under  the  yol:c" : 
wlmt  Yoke?  surely  it  could  not  have  been  that  of  a 
hired  servant,  for  the  very  introduction  tof  the  word 
in  the  sentence  implies  that  there  were  two  distinct 
classes  of  servants  in  Rome — one  bond,  and  the  other 
free — one  under  a  yoke,  and  the  other  not — what  then 
but  the  yoke  of  Bondage  could  the  Apostle  have  meant? 
"  Count  their  own  masters  worthy  of  ail  honor" — and 
could  such  masters  as  held  their  slaves  in  bondage 
contrary  to  the  principles  of  humanity  and  "  the  Scrip 
tures  of  the  New  Testament,"  have  been  worthy  of  all 
honor  ?  Did  the  great  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles  in  all 
the  purity  of  his  heart  and  the  light  of  his  extraordi 
nary  learning,  ever  advance  a  sentiment  so  repugmint 
to  the  precepts  of  tromlity  and  the  dictates  of  com- 
mon  sense?"  that  the  name  of  God  and  his  doclrino  be 


12 

blasphemed  ;"  and  could  the  name  of  God,  ami  [11$ 
dootrme,  have  been  blasphemed  by  the  disobedience 
of  freemen,  held  in  bondage  contr;  ry  to  "the  Scrip.-. 
tares  of  the  New  Testament  ???  In  tin;  name  of  morali-, 
ty  and  consistency,  we  ask  the  question ;  where  in  aU 
the  sacred  volume  can  be  found  a  solitary  sen^nee^ 
representing  the  sons  o  ftrcmen  blaspheming  the. 
name  and  doctrine  of  God  by  contending  for  the  birth 
right  of  Liberty/  Did  not  the  Apostle  himself  con 
tend  tor  the  liberty  of  a  Ivo-nan  citizen  when  his  rights 
were  assailed  ?  If  then  the  slaves  of  Rome  whom  he 
directed  Timothy  to  admonish  in  tho  words  we  have 
quoted,  where  also  entitled  to  the  privilege*  KH-IB 

citizens,  by  what  principle  of  morality  or  -,  :^ 

could  he  have  been  justified  for  the  act  /  \  ind  ^  d 

painful  to  see  into  wlrot  depths  of  error 
tency,  the  votaries  of  emancipation  have  thrown  the 
sacred  writers.  No  principle  o  humanity,  putriot- 
is;-;i,  or  virtue^  could  have  sustained  the  Apostle  m  uri^- 
irig  the  most  unqualified  obedience  on  the  skm-s  of 
Rome,  if  their  masters  had  robbed  thv'.m  of  their  lib 
erty  or  held  them  in  bondage  contrary  to  tue  precepts 
of  the  Bible. 

Wo  :nvo  already  insiiuited  that  St.  Paul  devoted 
mucli  of  las  time  to  the  instruction  of  slaves,  andl 
that  he  was  by  no  moans  deficient  .in  moral  courage? 
in  ins  elibrts  to  meliorate  their  condition.  To  tu-ir 
niaslers  h(}  applied  the  precepts  of  tiie  moral  law  and 
urged  tlicrn  to  bo  compassionate  to  their  slaves.  ':^ut 
•\vLore  auioii^  all  his  preeepis  do  we  fin-]  a  word  on 
the  sdbjec:.ol  abolition/  Did  ho  shrink  fro  it.hot  fk 
fearing  it  might  co^t  nira  bis  life  ?  certainly  noi>  for 


13 

life  he  assures  us,  "/.-•</$  kid  with  Christ -in 
nor  did  he  counr,  it  dear  to  iiim  wiien  he  entered  the 
Athenian  Court,  exposed  the  fallacy  of  idol  Gods,  and 
planted  within  the  walls  of  Iniidelity  the  standard  of 
the  Cross.  Whence  that  holy  zeal  and  god-like  mag-* 
nanimity?  surely  from  ardent  desire  to  correct  the 
moral  errors  of  the  Athenians  which  threatened  their 
destruction.  And  was  he  less  merciful  to  the  slave 
owners  of-  Rome  ?  Did  he  believe  that  the  bonds  of 
their  slaves  would  expose  them  to  the  vengeance  of 
Heaven,  and  yet  was  he  silent  ?  We  cannot  perceive 
the  consistency  of  that  logic,  or  the  morality  «  f  that  s\  s- 
ti-mof  Ethics,  which  admits  such  conclusions.  If  ti 
midity  or  partiality  could  have  occupied  any  sp^co  in 
the  bosom  of  the  Apostle,  surely  the  former  would  have 
yielded  to  the  dictates  of  the  latter  m  the  case  oi  1  hile- 
mon.  He  was  a  fellow  labourer  in  the  Gospel  ^nd 
bound  to  him  by  the  most  sacred  ties.  To  such  a 
friend  who  possessed  his  entire  confidence,  he  could 
freely  have  imparted  his  thoughts  on  the  most  delicate 
subjects;  nor  could  he  consistently  with  the  duties  of 
his  apostolic  office  have  refused  to  instruct  him  on  a 
subject  of  so  much  interest  as  the  bondage  of  his 
slaves.  He  did  instruct  him  by  the  hand  of  his  serv 
ant  Onesimus,  who  h  d  absconded  from  his  mastf.r, 
and  to  whom  he  applied  the  precepts  of  the  mor.l 
Jaw  on  obedience  and  fidelity  witn  such  force,  as  to 
effect  his  conversion.  Being  fully  persuaded  of  o 
sincerity  of  his  repentance,  he  made  him  the  bearer 
of  a  letter  to  his  master,  pr<;>  r>r;  that?  r  >'  •  \  par 
doned  lor  his  trcmsgn  ss.on.*  is  H  not  rnarveious  that 

*  Epistle  of  St.  Paul  to  r 


14 

the  Apostle  should  hare  entreated  Philemon  not  to  pun 
ish  the  -runaway,  if  he  regarded  it  repugnant  to  the 
"  Scriptures  of  the  New-Testament,"  even  for  suck  a 
master,  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  to  punish  such  a  slave? 
Could  he  have  viewed  the  condition  of  the  fugitive 
with  the  light  reflected  from  the  gteat  moral  luminary 
of  the  Abolitionists,  rather  would  he  have  concealed 
him  from  the  sight  of  his  master,  until  he  had  sent  up 
his  PETITIONS  to  the  Senate  of  Rome  and  the  Throne 
of  Heaven  to  release  him  from  his  bonds  ;  but  guided 
by  the  light  of  INSPIRATION  only,  he  admonished  him 
of  having  been  an  "  unprofitable  servant,  "  and  desired 
him  to  return  to  his  master's  service,  with  the  best  pur 
poses  of  his  heart  to  be  " profitable"  for  the  future. 

No  reproachful  epithets  did  he  cast  on  Philemon,  nor 
did  he  insinuate  that  it  was  contrary  to  the  precepts  of 
the  Bible  or  the  duties  of  his  sacred  office  to  own  a 
slave.  * 

44  Servants,"  said  the  same  Apostle,  to  the  slaves  at 
Colosse,  "  obey  in  all  things,  your  masters  according 
to  the  flesh  ;  not  with  eye  service  as  menpleasers  ;  but 
in  singleness  of  heart,  fearing  God.  And  whatsoever 
ye  do,  do  it  heartily,  as  to  the  Lord,  and  not  unto  men ; 
knowing  that  of  the  Lord  ye  shall  receive  the  reward 
of  the  inheritance :  for  ye  serve  the  Lord  Christ.  But 
he  that  doeth  wrong,  shall  receive  for  the  wrong  that  he 
hath  done,  t 

*  In  the  election  of  Bishops  at  the  last  General  Conference,  fhe  Northern  French- 
ew  were  quite  too  consciert//yj«j  to  agree  with  St  Paui  on  this  subject.  As  their  ten 
der,  feeling  would  not  permit  them  10  suffer  "  a  slave  owner"  to  exercise  the  Episcopal 
Oilbe  at  the  North,  we  h->pe  they  will  favor  us>,  in  the  future,  with  the  services  of 
Bishops  SOULB  and  ANDREW  oaf:/.  We  want  no  Bishops  in  the  South  who  assume 
more  humanity  and  pietv  taan  St.  Paul,  and  should  the  service*  rf  eueh  be  imposed 
upon  u«,  we  hope  they  w.li  come  prepared  lor  a  CATECHETICAL  EXAMINATION,  and 
for  a  COURTEOUS  DISMISSIO.V,  in  the  event  of  their  proving  heterodox  to  the  i<uitli  of 
ihe  Apo^vie  and  the  principles  of  the  Constitution. 

t  Co)lusj-iane»  3,  Clir^r.  22,  tt. 


15 

Jn  this  mornl  lesson,  the  sbves  at  Colosse  were  not 
only  t-ai^iit  tiiat  the  sincerity  of  their  piety  should  be 
u  by  their  obedience  and  fidelity  to  their  masters, 
but  that  the  blessings  of  Heaven  would  be  bestowed 
on  none  but  faithful  and  obedient  servants  ;  and  if  their 
bondage  was  contrary  to  the  will  of  God  and  "  the 
Scriptures  of  the  New-Testament,"  we  cannot  per 
ceive  by  what  principle  of  morality  the  Apostle  could 
have  been  justified  for  so  teaching  tkem.  The  Epis 
tle,  of  which  the  words  we  have  quoted  compose  a 
part,  was  addressed  to  members  of  the  Church  of 
Christ,  and  to  such  members  as  were  called  "  Saints 
and  faithful  Brethren."  Astounding  fact !  that  slave 
owners  should  have  been  denominated  Saints  and  faith 
ful  Brethren — and  that  too,  by  an  Inspired  Apostle. 
It  is  nevertheless  true,  and  it  is  also  true  that  such  was 
the  peculiar  character  of  the  Colossian  slave-owners 
and  their  brethren.  There  piety  and  simplicity  of 
heart  were  known  abroad,  and  having  escaped  the 
snares  of  "  vain  philosophy,  traditions,  and  the  wor 
shiping  of  angels,"  into  which  other  members  of  the 
Church  had  fallen,  the  Apostle  approved  their  fidelity 
and  exhorted  them  to  abide  in  the  faith.  Surely  to 
such  saints  and  faithful  brethren  he  could  freely  have 
imparted  his  mind  on  slavery,  and  the  more  so,  if  he 
regarded  it  a  "  moral  evil."  Why  then  was  he  silent? 
And  why  did  he  conclude  his  admonitions  with  the 
threat  "  but  he  that  docth  wrong,  shall  receive  for  the 
wrong  he  hath  done."  If  their  masters  kept  them  in 
bondage  contrary  to  "  the  Scriptures  of  the  New-Tes 
tament,"  and  their  bonds  prevented  them  from  re<  1- 
izing  tiie  necessaries  of  life  and  tke  moral  enjoyments 


* 


of  which  their  capacities  \vrre  susceptible*  they  edukl 
not  have  done  wrong  by  contending  for  the:r  li: 
nor  could  St.  Paul  as  an  expounder  of  "  the  Scriptures 
of  the  New-Testament*"  have  done  right  to  teach  them 
otherwise  ;  but  admit  the  conclusion,  which  is  inevita 
ble,  that  the  coriditicn  of  bondage  was  better  adapted 
to  their  wants  and  capacities  than  any  other,  an*  by 
no  means  prevented  them  from  the  enjoyment  of  reli 
gious  privileges,  then  is  the  lesson  of  the  Apostle  jus 
tified  by  every  principle  of  humanity  and  moral  truth. 
No  sentiment  has  saluted  our  ears  more  frequently, 
or  with  more  pleasure  from  the  s  acred  desk,  than  that 
which  portrays  the  object  of  the  Saviour's  mission. 

"  Ho  ca;ne  the  crimes  of  masi  to  efface 
And  lift  his  immortal  spirit  to  the  skies." 

It  was  for  this  purpose  he  came,  says  the  minister  at 
the  North,  and  for  this  purpose  did  he  come,  says  the 
minister  at  the  South.  Who  then  can  doubt  it?  And 
wiio  should  presume  to  question  his  moral  ability  to  ac 
complish  the  benevolent  object  ?  Surely  those  who 
greet  in  the  holy  sanctuary  the  votaries  of  emancipa 
tion,  should  be  the  last  to  advance  a  sentiment  so  ex 
tremely  absurd.  But  is  not  the  absurdity  with  which 
it  is  marked  displayed  in  their  moral  essays  on  slavery? 
We  think  so  :  for  if  "  slavery  be  a  crime  for  which  hu 
manity  blushes,  and  the  angel  of  mercy  weeps"  the  Sav 
iour  did  either  not  possess  the  moral  ability  to  abolish 
it,  or  he  did  not  possess  the  philanthropy  to  denounce 
it;  for  it  is  manifest  that  he  did  neither  abolish  the  in 
stitution,  nor  denounce  its  advocates.  What  then  is 
the-  eoodusion  ?  It  should  not  be  told  but  in  terms  of 
human  compassion,  for  the  heart  sickens  at  the  thought 


1? 

of  that  morality  which  exalts  itself  above  the  Gos 
pel,  and  that  philanthropy  which  assumes  more  than 
the  Saviour.  It  is  not  true  that  the  Gracious  Re 
deemer  did  not  possess  the  moral  ability  to  correct 
the  errors  of  man,  nor  is  it  true  that  the  measure  of 
his  philanthropy,  was  beneath  the  standard  of  his 
creatures.  No  circumstances  nor  events,  neither  prin 
cipalities  nor  powers,  could  arrest  his  omnipotent  arm 
in  the  accomplishment  of  his  benevolent  purposes. 
The  rich  and  poor,  the  bond  and  free,  were  all  permit 
ted  to  hear  the  admonitions  of  his  compassionate 
voice,  in  accents  alternately  gentle  as  the  dews  of 
Heaven.  Nor  wrere  transgressors  excluded  from  its 
hallowed  influence.  "  I  will  have  mercy,"  said  he, 
"  and  not  sacrifice  ;  for  I  am  not  come  to  call  the 
righteous  ;  but  sinners  to  repentance."  Why  then 
did  he  not  address  the  slave  owners  of  Rome,  as  sin 
ners  and  transgressors  of  the  Moral  Law  1  If  he  re- 
oarded  slavery  "  a  moral  evil  and  a  curse  to  the  poor" 
could  he  in  the  plenitude  of  his  mercy  have  refused 
to  admonish  them  of  its  baneful  effects  !  The  poor, 
(and  surely  the  Slaves  of  Rome  were  included  among 
the  number,)  seemed  to  be  the  objects  of  his  most 
tender  regard.  And  did  he  look  upon  their  bondage 
as  "  a  grievous  burthen,  a  curse  to  their  posterity," 
and!  an  object  of  his  compassion?  Certainly  not,  for 
where  is  recorded  his  compassion  for  their  bonds! 
And  where  in  the  spirit  and  words  of  the  Abolition 
ists,  did  he  rebuke  their  masters  as  "  cruel  oppressors 
— tyrannical  lords — destitute  of  the  finer  feelings  of 
humanity''  We  have  not  found  the  semblance  of 
such  epithets  in  his  admonitions,  but  in  our  research- 

3 


18' 

es  for  the  truth  on  this  subject,  we  found  the  Centuri 
on,*  one  of  the  wealthy  slave  owners   of  Rome,  be 
seeching  the  Saviour  to  come  and  heal  one  of  his  slaves 
afflicted  with  the  palsy — his  petition  was  granted,  and 
the  Saviour  said  of  him,  "  I  have  not  found  so  great 
faith ;  no,  not  in  Israel" — How  marvelous  that  the 
best  man  in  all  Israel  should  have  been  a  slave  own 
er — and  how  much  more  marvelous  that  the  compas 
sionate  Redeemer   should  not   have   torn  from   the 
bosom  of  that  honest  slave  owner,  a  principle  opposed 
to  "  the  Scriptures  of  the  New  Testament,"  if  indeed 
slavery  was  that  principle-- Away  with  the  sentiment, 
"  the  finer  feelings  of  humanity  dwell  not  in  the  bo-^ 
soms  of  slave   owners."     The  Saviour  found  in  at 
least  one  of  that  class  of  human  beings,  all  the  vir 
tues  of  the  Christian  faith  ;  and  if  an  angel  was  now 
sent  to  select  those  from  whose  hearts  the  milk  of  hu 
man  kindness  pours  its  thousand  streams  of  charity, 
we  honestly  believe  that  he  would  make  his  selection 
among  the  vilified  "  KIDNAPPERS  OF  THE  SOUTH."  We 
may  be  regarded  selfish  in  this  opinion,  but  we  have 
so  often  seen  the  hand  of  compassion  and  bounty  ex 
tended  to  the  aged,  helpless  slave,  and  the  most  me 
nial  offices  performed  for  the  comfort  and  happiness 
of  such  objects  as  are  doomed  in  the  "Classic  land  of 
Liberty,"  to  beg  their  crums  in  the  Streets  and  High 
ways,  we  can  but  indulge  it. 

We  have  assumed  the   position  that  slavery  was 
and  is  a  merciful  dispensation  to  that  class  of  men 


*  Sec  St.  Matthew  S  Chapter,  9  rors«,  whore  the  distinction  of  the  terms  man  an«J 
servant  is  observed  according  t«  the  custom  of  the  Renitse— tht  former 
mldicr — the  latter  a  sfcrrr. 


19 

who  hare  neither  the  means  nor  capacities  to  provide 
for  their  wants ;  and  our  position  is  sustained,  not 
only  by  the  moral  truth,  that  the  Supreme  Being  is 
not  accountable  for  the  deficiency  of  the  means  and 
capacities  of  his  creatures,  but  by  the  passive  acknowl 
edgment  of  the  morality  of  the  Institution  observed 
by  the  Saviour  in  all  his  precepts.  He  is  a  merciful 
man,  says  the  voice  of  Christianity,  who  meliorates 
the  condition  of  his  fellow  men — hence,  our  Lord  re 
buked  not  the  Centurion  for  holding  his  slaves  in  bon 
dage,  because  their  condition  was  thereby  materially 
benefitted,  nor  did  he  forbid  him  to  bequeath  them  to 
his  posterity,  in  conformity  with  the  Mosaic  Law. 
"  But  he  came  not  destroy,  but  to  fulfill  the  Law," 
say  the  Abolitionists,  "  consequently  he  could  but  be 
silent  on  the  subject  of  slavery."  This  is  another  of 
the  many  sophisms  which  seem  to  have  been  strained 
from  the  sacred  Code,  to  mar  the  peace  of  the  slave 
and  excite  his  vindictive  passions.  It  is  true  the  Sav 
iour  came  not  to  destroy  the  Monal  Law  delivered  to 
Moses  on  Sinai,  but  every  precept  of  the  Ceremoni 
al  Law  which  he  regarded  contrary  to  the  spirit  of 
Christianity  he  did  abolish.  And  wrhy  1  Because  the 
former  bore  tire  impress  of  Deity,  and  was  therefore 
perfect — the  latter  was  a  human  production  and  there 
fore  imperfect — and  having  come  to  correct  the  er 
rors  of  man,  he  was  bound  by  all  his  attributes  to  cor 
rect  every  immoral  precept  of  the  Ceremonial  Law  ; 
accordingly,  in  his  sermon  on  the  Mount,  particularly 
that  part  of  it  recorded  in  the  5th  Chap.  St.  Matthew, 
he  performed  that  office.  And  why  may  we  ask,  if 
he  regarded  slavery  "  a  moral  evil"  was  it  not  inclu^ 


20 

ded  among  the  number  of  moral  evils  denounced  or* 
that  solemn  occasion  ?  The  descendants  of  Ham 
were  then  in  bondage— and  the  poor  Hebrew  had  not 
heard  the  glad  sound  of  a  Jubilee  since  the  days  of 
Nehemiah,  a  period  of  415  years  anterior  to  the  chris- 
tian  era.  Why  was  the  compassionate  Redemer  si 
lent  on  a  subject  so  momentous  1  Was  it  because 
"  his  kingdom  was  not  of  this  world,"  as  we  have  been 
told  ?  True,  his  kingdom  was  not  of  this  world,  for 
his  word  assures  us  it  was  "  a  kingdom  of  righteous 
ness,  joy  and  peace  in  the  Holy  Ghost."  And  who 
but  the  righteous  could  have  been  received  as  its  sub 
jects — who  but  the  righteous  could  have  been  par 
takers  of  its  joy  and  peace  ?  The  Centurion  was  not 
excluded,  nor  were  the  saints  and  faithful  Brethren  at 
Colosse.  Were  they  received  as  probationers  only 
until  they  had  atoned  for  " the  accursed  sin  of  slave 
ry  V  Why  then  were  not  their  privileges  as  subjects 
of  that  kingdom  suspended  on  the  emancipation  of 
their  slaves  ?  Did  the  INFINITE  WISDOM  of  the  Sav 
iour  perceive  that  such  an  injunction  would  meliorate 
their  condition  and  the  condition  of  myriads  yet  un 
born,  but  his  INFINTE  MERCY  could  not  enforce  it  ? 
Did  his  DIVINITY  look  through  the  events  of  distant 
ages,  and  perceiving  that  the  present  and  future  hap 
piness  of  millions  would  be  destroyed  by  the  bonds 
of  servitude,  would  fain  have  rebuked  the  world — but 
it  was  more  than  his  HUMANITY  could  do  ?  Did  he  in 
deed  regard  slavery,  "  a  reproach  to  Christianity — a 
principle  at  war  uith  every  emotion  of  humanity  and 
mercy"  and  refused  to  lift  his  voice  against  it  ?  Was 
the  measure  of  his  compassion  ;>o  far  beneath  the  Ab- 


81 

olitionists  that  he  could  not  utter  a  word  of  commis 
eration  for  the  bonds  of  "  the  Heathen  and  Strang 
er  ?" — Well  indeed  may  "  humanity  blush"  at  such 
a  picture  of  the  compassionate  Redeemer — and  well 
may  "  the  Jlngel  of  mercy  weep"  when  within  the 
temples  of  the  MOST  HIGH,  it  is  engraven  by  the  holy 
hand  of  Priesthood,  and  sent  forth  to  rouse  a  rebel 
lious  spirit.  It  is  not  true  that  the  Immaculate  Sav 
iour  passed  by  "  the  heathen^  and  stranger"  as  objects 
beneath  his  care — nor  is  it  true  that  he  reserved  for 
the  Satellites  of  Tappan  and  Garrison,  that  compas 
sion  for  their  bonds,  which  he  could  neither  cherish 
himself,  nor  permit  his  Apostles  to  cherish  He  be 
held  their  condition — he  looked  to  their  future  destiny, 
and  viewing  the  events  and  calamities  of  ages  and  gen  • 
erations  yet  to  come,  he  released  them  not  from  their 
bonds,  because  he  regarded  them  essential  to  their 
wants — and  he  rebuked  not  their  masters,  because  they 
were  acting  under  the  authority  of  a  moral  Institu 
tion,  sanctioned  by  the  precepts  of  a  moral  law. 

With  this  view  of  the  subject,  (and  we  can  perceive 
no  other  that  does  not  represent  the  Almighty  as  an 
unjust,  cruel  tyrant,  accountable  for  the  incidental 
deficiences  of  the  means  and  capacities  of  his  crea 
tures,)  it  is  obvious  that  "  the  New  Testament  Scrip 
tures  and  the  preaching  and  practice  of  our  Lord  and 
his  Apostles"  do  justify  slavery ;  and  we  will  now 
enquire  by  what  authority  the  Abolitionists  have  af 
firmed,  that  an  institution  stampt  with  the  seal  of  Si- 
nia — justified  by  the  patriarchs  and  prophets,  and 
sanctioned  by  the  Saviour  and  his  Apostles,  "  is  con 
trary  to  the  SPIRIT  of  Christianity  ?"  The  falla- 


ey  of  th,e  sentiment,  when  fairly  presented,  must  be 
obvious  to  the  most  superficial  reasoner  ;  but  it  is  so 
often  viewed  in  the  abstract,  and  so  long  and  repeat 
edly  has  it  been  acknowledged  as  a  self  evident  truth, 
it  has  assumed  the  character  of  tradition,  we  will 
therefore  examine  its  moral  worth.  And  what  is 
Christianity  1  The  religion  taught'  by  the  Saviour. 
And  what  is  the  religion  taught  by  the  Saviour?  Re 
pentance,  faith  and  holiness  ;  the  sincerity  of  which  is 
exemplified  by  a  due  obedience  to  the  precepts  of  the 
moral  law.  We  have  been  taught  no  better  defini 
tion  of  Christianity  than  this,  nor  have  we  been  able 
to  learn  that  its  spirit  is  a  separate  immaterial  parti 
cle,  inculcating  precepts  more  moral  and  divine  than 
Christianity  itself.  It  cannot  be  true ;  for  if  there  be  a 
moral  principle  in  the  spirit  of  Christianity  that  is  not 
to  be  found  in  its  precepts,  it  must  require  more  than 
ordinary  capacities  to  comprehend  it:  then  is  grace 
limited  to  the  wise,  and  God  is  unjust  by  excluding 
the  ignorant  from  its  holy  influence.  We  cannot  be 
lieve  it ;  for  the  sublimity  of  the  whole  moral  code, 
apart  from  its  divine  character,  consists  in  the  sim 
plicity  of  its  precepts ;  and  those  precepts  most  hap 
pily  adapted  to  every  grade  of  human  intellect,  em 
brace  not  only  the  whole  duty  of  man,  but  all  that  the 
spirit  of  Christianity  can  possibly  inculcate  ;  hence 
saith  the  Apostle,  "  there  is  one  body,  and  one  spirit" 
and  inasmuch  as  the  spirit  of  man  is  judged  by  the 
deeds  of  the  law,  so  is  the  spirit  of  Christianity  testified 
by  the  precepts  of  its  author  ;  for  "  as  the  body  tcithout 
the  spirit  is  dead"  so  the  word  of  God  without  the 
spirit  of  Christianity  is  dead  also.  There  can  be  no 


23 

just  distinction  of  the  terms,  for  it  is  not  possible  to 
conceive  an  idea  more  absurd,  than  that  of  the  Saviour 
and  his  Apostles  inculcating  precepts  of  moral  obedi 
ence  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  Christianity.  What, 
then,  is  the  conclusion  ?  It  is  this ;  that  all  the  pre 
cepts  of  the  Gospel  addressed  to  the  slaves  of  Rome, 
were  not  only  consistent  with  the  letter,  but  the  spirit 
of  Christianity,  for  "  the  words  that  I  speak"  said  the 
Saviour,  "  they  are  SPIRIT,  and  they  are  LIFE." 

With  these  reflections,  we  will  now  proceed  to  ex 
amine  those  precepts  which  were  specially  directed 
to  masters,  and  such  others  as  are  conneted  with  them. 
St.  Paul  thus  addressed  the  slaves   at  Ephesus  and 
their  masters :  "  Servants  be  obedient  to  your  masters 
according  to  the  flesh,  with  fear  and  trembling,  in  sin 
gleness  of  your  heart  as  unto  Christ ;  not  with  eye  ser 
vice,  as  men  pleasers  ;  but  as  the  servants  of  Christ, 
doing  the  will  of  God  from  the  heart ;  with  good  will 
doing  service,  as  to  the  Lord,  and  not  to  men  :  know 
ing  that  whatsoever  good  thing  any  man  doeth,  the 
same  shall  be  receive  of  the  Lord,  whether  he  be  bond 
or  free.    And  ye  masters,  do  the  same  things  unto 
them,   forbearing  threatening :    knowing  that  your 
master  also  is  in  Heaven ;  neither  is  there  respect  of 
persons  with  him.     Finally,  my  brethren,  be  strong  in 
the  Lord,  and  in  the  power  of  his  might."*      In  these 
words  the  principles  of  obedience  and  humanity  are 
enforced  in  a  manner  peculiarly  emphatic,    The  slave 
is  taught  that  to  secure  the  approbation  of  his  Heav 
enly  Ma»ter,he  must  conscientiously  discharge  his  du- 

•'  Ephesians,  Chap.  6,  5-10. 


24 

tie's  to  his  earthly  master ;    and  his  master  is  taught 
that  if  he  would  obtain  the  like  favor,  he  must  ex 
ercise  benevolence  and  compassion  to  his  slave  ;  and 
having  thus  discharged  their  duties  to  each  other,  they 
are  exhorted  to   "  be  strong  in  the  Lord,  and  in  the 
power  of  his  might"     Whether  it  was  possible  for 
the  master  who  held  his  slave  in  bondage  contrary  to 
the  word  and  spirit  of  Christianity  to  be  strong  in  the 
Lord,  and  in  the  power  of  his  might;  and  whether 
the  Apostle  could  have  been  justified  for  thus  affec 
tionately  exhorting  such  a  master,  we  leave  the  reader 
to  determine.      It  is  the   opinion  of  a  learned  com 
mentator,  that  the  words  "forbearing  threatening" 
were  intended  as  a  rebuke  to  such  masters  as  were  in 
the  habit  of  using  menacing  language  to  their  servants; 
the  act  not  being  consistent  with  the  spirit  of  Christi 
anity,  the  Apostle  admonished  the  Ephesians  of  its 
evil  tendency.     But  here  his  admonition  ended :  they 
were  his  brethren  in  the  church,  and  so  much  confi 
dence  had  he  in  the  sincerity  of  their  piety,  that  he  so 
licited  an  interest  in  their  prayers.?     Not  a  word  did 
he  utter  on  the  subject  of  emancipation,  nor  did  he  in 
sinuate  that  it  was  contrary  to  the  word  or  spirit  of 
Christianity,  for  the  relation  which  then  existed  be 
tween   masters  and  slaves  to  be  perpetuated.     The 
words  "for  there  is  no  respect  of  persons  with  him" 
which  have  been  so  cruelly  tortured  to  prove  the  ini 
quity  of  slavery,  refer  specially  to  the  future  and  eter 
nal  inheritance,  which,  without  regard  to  poverty  or 
wealth,  freedom  or  bondage,  is  bestowed  upon  the  vir 
tuous.  They  can  have  no  reference  whatever  to  earth- 

*  Read  the  Gth  chapter  of  Ephesians. 


25 

ly  distinctions,  for  MoseS  was  placed  in  a  more  exalt 
ed  station  than  the  rest  of  the  Israelites  by  the  special 
will  of  Heaven,  Samuel  also  \vas  anointed  king  by  his 
MAKER'S  permission,  the  priests  and  rulers  were  en 
dowed  with  special  privileges,  and  the  Apostle  him 
self  enjoined  it  on  the  Komans."to  render  to  all  their 
dues,  tribute  to  whom  tribute  is  due  ;  custom  to  whom 
custom  ;  fear  to  whom  fear;  honor  to  whom  honor." 

"Masters"  said  the  same  Apostle  to  the  Christians 
at  Colosse,  "give  unto  your  servants  lhat  winch  is 
jtist  and  equal;  knowing  that  ye  also  have  a.  master 
in  Heaven.'''*  Dr.  Clarke  (who  though  not  an  Abo- 
litioilist,  cherished  against  slavery  the  prejudices  pe 
culiar  to  the  English.)  admids  that  these  words  were 
addressed  to  the  owners  of  slaves  who  are  requi 
red  by  them  to  give  their  slaves  comfortable  food 
comfortable  raiment  and  a  reasonable  task  of  labor . 
This  was  what  he  conceived  equivalent  to  their  ser 
vices,  and  justly  due  them.  We  have  no  objection  t6 
his  opinion,  nor  do  we  believe  a  more  correct  exposition 
of  the  words  can  be  given.  They  were  addressed,  as 
we  before  stated,  to  "  the  saints  and  faithful  brethren" 
at  Colosse,  who  enjoyed  the  entire  confidence  of  the 
Apostle,  and  for  whom  he  said  "there  was  a  hope 
l;iid  up  in  Heaven.''  They  contain  his  last  admoni 
tion  to  masters,  and  the  last  that  we  have  discovered 
in  the  New  Testament.  Is  there  a  word  in  the  sen 
tence  on  the  subject  of  emancipation?  There  is  not 
— nor  did  the  Apostle  insinuate  that  it  was  inconsist 
ent  with  the  spirit  of  Christianity  for  saints  and  faith- 
Jut  brethren  to  hold  their  servants  in  perpetual  bond 
age.  Whence,  then,  have  the  Abolitionists  derived 

ColoRsians,  4, 1. 

4 


their  authority  for  the  declaration  ?  Have  they  re 
ceived  a  special  dispensation  of  gracie  to  which  the 
Apostle  was  an  utter  stranger  1  Was  it  reserved  for 
their  lucid  minds  so  thoroughly  to  explore;  the  science 
of  salvation,  as  to  discover  that  on  the  subject  of  slav 
ery,  there  is  neither  the  spirit  nor  life  of  Christianity 
in  the  words  of  the  Saviour  and  his  Apostles  I  Would 
to  God  we  could  cover  their  daring  arrogance  with 
the  mantle  of  charity,  and  attribute  their  unholy 
purposes  to  the  spirit  of  fanaticism.  But  we  cannot 
—the  disturbing  spirit  has  been  roused,  not  by  the 
credulous  and  visionary,  but  by  the  voice  of  learned 
priests— and  those  whom  the  Saviour  and  his  Apos 
tles  approved  as  saints  and  faithful  brethren,  they  de 
nounce  as  "unjust,  cruel,  kidnappers  guilty  of  the 
most  atrocious  transgressions  against  Godandman" 
Well  for  them — if  after  all  their  pious  efforts  to  fill  the 
coffers  of  monopolists,  at  the  cost  of  ttie  tears  and 
blood  of  Southern  slave  owners,  some  Hetavenly  mes 
senger  shall  greet  them  with  the  salutation  of  St.  Paul 
to  the  slave  owners  at  Colosse ;  "  We  give  thanks  to 
God  and  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  since 
tee  heard  of  your  faith  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  of  the 
love  which  ye  have  for  all  the  saints,  and  for  the  hope 
which  is  laid  up  for  you  in  Heaven" 

It  has  been  maintained  by  the  Abolitionists,  that  St. 
Paul  in  his  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians  most  unequiv 
ocally  condemns  slavery  in  the  following  words — 
"  Let  every  man  atiide  in  the  same  calling  wherein  he 
was  called.  Art  thoti  called  being  a  servant!  care 
not  for  it;  but  if  thou  mayest  be  made  free,  use  it  rath 
er.  For  he  that  is  railed  in  the  Lord,  being  a  servant, 


27 

is  the  Lord's  free  man  :  likewise  also,  he  that  is  cal 
led,  being  free,  is  Christ's  servant.     Ye  are   bought 
with  a  price  ;  be  not  ye  servants  of  men.      Breth 
ren,  let  every  man,  wherein  he  is  called,  threin  abide." 
We  intend  that  a  trio  as  worthy  as  Locke,  Coke  and 
Whitby  shall  expound  these  words.     "  Let  every  man 
abide  in  the  same  calling  wherein  he  is  called,  desir 
ing  no  alteration  in  his  condition,  but  satisfied  with 
the  dispensations  of  God's  providence — Jlrt  thou  cal 
led  being  a  servant  1  care  not  for  it ;  because  thy 
condition  as  a  servant  or  a  slave  is  therefore  not  the 
less  acceptable  to  God — but  if  thou  mayest  be  made 
free,  use  it  rather;  if  thou  canst  obtain  thy  liberty  by 
righteous  means,  it  may  be  lawful  for  thee  to  desire 
it ;  but  if  thou  canst  not,  content  thyself,  and  look  not 
upon  thy  condition  as  a  mark  of  God's  displeasure — 
For  he  that  is  called  in  the  Lord,  being  a  servant,  is 
the  Lord's  free  man ;  brought  from  the  bondage  of 
sin  to  the  most  desirable  freedom,  the  glorious  liberty 
of  the  sons  of  God — Likewise,  also,  he  that  is  called 
being  free,  is  Christ's  servant ;  for  whatever  thy  civ 
il  privileges  may  be,  when  thou  hast  taken  the  Lord 
for  thy  master,   thou   art  as  much  bound  to  obey 
his  commandments  as   the   meanest  slave — Ye  are 
bought  icit/i  a  price,  even  the  blood  of  Jesus — be  not 
ye  the  servants  of  men ;  in  their   ungodly  practices 
and  idolatrous  worship,  but  serve  the  Lord  thy  God — 
Brethren,  let  every  man  wherein  he  is  called,  whatev 
er  his  station  in  life  may  be — therein  abide  with  Gvd, 
resigned  to  his  will  and  the  dispensations  of  his  prov 
idence" — We  wish  it  distinctly  understood  that  these 
reflections  are  from  the  pens  of  the  learned  and  pious 


28 

who  were  free  from  what  is  called  "  the  sin  of  slavery*' 
and  who  had  imbibed  prejudices  quite  strong  enough 
to  permit  them  to  discover  some  moral  injunctions 
against  it,  if  such  were  contained  in  the  words.     The 
Epistle  from  which  the  words  are  selected,  seems   to 
have  been  written  by  St.  Paul  in   reply  to  a  letter  of 
consultation  addressed  him  at  Ephesus  by  some  mem 
bers  of  the  Church  at  Corinth.*     In  the  ardor  of  his 
holy  zeal,  he  had  visited  all  the  Asiatic  provinces  of 
Greece  and  remained  some  time  in  the  city  of  Corinth, 
then  the  capital  of  Achaia  in  the  Peloponesus,  where 
many  were  converted  by  his  ministry,  and  whose  par 
tiality  for  him  induced  them  to  consult  him   on  some 
important  matters  which  occurred  after  his  departure. 
Contests  and  divisions  had   arisen  among  them,  and 
while  some  exclaimed  "/  am  of  Pain" — others,  "  / 
of  Jlj>vllo$"—nnr3.  others,  "  /  of  Cephas"  a  certain 
class   contended  that  the  privileges  of  their  Christian 
stdtt;  and  the  franchises  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ  had 
released  them  from  the  ties  and  obligations  which  had 
previously  bound  them  as   members   of  the  cicil  no- 
ciety.    To  that  class,  the  Apostle  addressed  the  words 
we  have  quoted.     They  were  servants,  and  it  is  obvi 
ous  that  they  were  servants  of  a  peculiar  class,  other 
wise  they  would  have  been  admonished  as  were  the 
servants  of  Ephesus   and  Colosse,   for  the   Apostle 
could  not  have  been  partial  and  just  also.    The  word? 
rfpvfeuthcros,  rendered  freed  man,  in  Lathi  lAbtrtut 
— signifies  says  Locke,  not  simply  a  free  man,  but  one 
who  having  been  a  slave,  has  had  his  freedom  given 

*  The  Reader  is  referred  to  the  tan  or  of  that  part  of  the  Episile  embraced  in  th«  7 
fast  Chapters  for  the  proof  of  our  remarks. 


29 

him  by  his  master,  and  as  the  Grecians  on  special 
occasions  liberated  such  slaves  as  had  once  enjoyed 
freedom,  but  by  the  fate  of  war  had  fallen  under  the 
yoke  of  bondage,  and  in  that  condition  proved  them 
selves  worthy  of  their  former  state,  the  servants  at 
Corinth  contended  (after  their  conversion)  that  their 
relation  to  their  masters  in  the  Church  entitled  them 
to  like  privileges.  That  such  had  been  their  fate  and 
such  their  maans  and  capacities,  St.  Paul  believed,  (as 
some  of  our  Southern  shive  owners  believe  when  they 
emancipate  certain  slaves)  that  they  might  be  happi 
er  in  a  state  of  freedom,  the  words  ''-if'tkou  ma'/cxt  be, 
mrlrfrrr,  use,  it  ratfirr"  most  conclusively  imply,  but 
nothing  more — for  the  Apostle  rebuked  them  as  often 
as  three  times  in  the  compass  of  seven  verses  for  con- 
teirlingthat  Christianity  either  by  the  influence  of  its 
g/nritoriteprecrijts,  gave  them  a  ?irw  or  peculiar  lib 
erty  to  change  their  condition,  or  imposed  that  obli 
gation  on  their  masters.  And  why  may  we  r»sk  did  he 
withhold  his  admonitions  to  their  masters  if  it  were 
contrary  to  the  spirit  of  Christianity  for  them  to  hold 
even  *uch  servants  in  bondage  ?  The  occasion  was 
one  of  peculiar  interest  and  must  havu  enlisted  the 
sympathies  of  his  heart.  As  an  umpire,  a  mediator 
and  the  spiritual  father  of  both  master  and  slave,  his 
counsel  was  solicited  on  a  subject  embracing  their 
present  and  future  happiness.  Behold  my  bonds  and 
pity  me,  ciied  the  slave — tell  me  my  duty  and  I  will 
perform  it,  responded  the  master.  And  what  said  the 
Apostle  ?  "  'Brethren,  Id  every  man  wherein  he  is 
called,  therein  abide  icith  God.  For  he  that  is  cal 
led  in  the  Lurd,  being  a  servant,  is  the  Lord's  free- 


30 

man :  likewise  also,  he  that  is  called,  being  free  is 
Christs  servant."    Such  were  his  words.     And  where 
are  those  which  breathe  more  of  the  spirit  of  Christi 
anity — where  shall  we  find  others  that  more  clearly 
prove  the  compassion  of  its  author?     Shall  we  seek 
them  in  the  crimson  pages  of  a  Garrison  and  his  god 
ly  companions? — The  words  "ye  are  bought  with  a 
price;  b  not  ye  the  servants  of  men"  which  they  have 
Tauntingly  exclaimed,   "  prove  the  iniquity  of  slavery 
beyond  the  possibility  of  doubt,"  according   to   their 
hypothesis,  impeach  not  only  the  consistency  but  the 
morality  of  the  Apostle,     For  if  they  contain  an  ad 
monition  to  servants  and  refer  especially  to  the  condi 
tion  of  bondage,   why  should  St.  Paul  have  charged 
the  servants  at  EpheSus  and  Colosse  to  "  obey  in  all 
things  their  masters  according  to  the  flesh  ?"     St.  Pe 
ter  who  partook  of  his  spirit  and  seemed  to  have  cher 
ished  no  little  concern  for  the  moral  instruction  of  the 
slaves  at  Galatia,  thus  addressed  them—"  Servants 
be  subject  to  your  masters,  (detpotai)  with  all  fear ; 
not  only  to  thegnod  and  gentle,  but  also  thsjroward" 
For  this  is  thank-worthy  if  a  man  for  conscience  to 
wards  God  endure  grief,  suffering  wrongfully — For 
what  glory  is  it,  if,  when  ye  be  bu(Fett«'d  for  your  faults, 
ye  take  it  patiently  ?  but  if  when  ye  do  well,  and  suf 
fer  for  it,   ye  take  it  patiently,  this  is  acceptable  to 
God."*     We  can  perceive  no  morality  or  consistency 
in  these  and  such  admonitions  as  St.  Paul  addressed 
to  the  slaves  of  Ephesus  and  Colosse,  if  it  were  con 
trary  to  the  express  word  of  God  for  "no  man  to  be 
calkd  the  servant  of  another"  as  the  Abolitionists  in- 

*  1  Peter  2nd  Chap.  18-20- 


31 

form  us,  but  reverse  the  position,  and  the  Apostles  aro 
free  from  reproach. 

We  beg  leave  to  compare  the  admonition  of  St. 
Peter  with  the  moral  scntimtnls  of  a  learned  priest  of 
the  Abolition  School,  which,  if  they  did  not  procure 
him  the  degree  of  D.  D.  at  least  prevented  him  not 
from  receiving  it :  "  slavery"  says  the  divine,  "is  made 
up  of  every  crime  that  treachery,  cruelty  and  murder 
can  invent;  and  slave  owners,  who  are  men  slealcrs, 
are  the  very  worst  of  thieves.      The  most  knavish 
tricks  are  practised  by  those  dealers  in  human  flesh ; 
and  if  slaves  judge  of  our  moral  character  by  that  of 
their  masters,  they  must  suppose  that  Christians  arc 
devils,  and  that  Christianity  teas  forged  in  hell.   Can 
devils  plot  against  us,  worse  than  they  do  against 
them  ?     In  art  and  wickedness,  as  it  respects  princi 
ple  and  practice,  their  masters  abundantly  exceed" 
4i  Out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart,"  said  the  Saviour, 
"  the  mouth  speaketh  ;"  we  may  therefore  justly  con 
clude,  that  there  was  at  least  as  much  of  the;  spirit  of 
piety  in  the  heart  of  the  writer,  as  in  the  words  of  his 
mouth.     St.  Peter,  however,  differed  with  the  learn 
ed  divine,  for,  among  "  the  men  stealers"  of  Galatia 
he  found  some  whom  he  called  good  and  gentle— the 
people  of  God — elect  through  sanctification  oj  the 
spirit,  and  to  whom  he  applied  the  Gospel  salutation, 
"  brethren,  grace  unto  you,  and  peace  be  multiplied" 
Strange  indeed,  that  the  Apostle  should  have  been  so 
charitable  to  "  thieves  and  murderers,"  and  still  more 
strange  that  he  should  have  rejoiced  ((that  there  was 
reserved  in  Heaven  for  them,  an  inheritance  incor 
ruptible,  undejiled,  and  that  faddh  not  aicay"    W« 


32 

had  thought  that  the  Heavenly  inheritance  was  re 
served  for  a  different  class  of  beings  to  those  "  who 
are  pruilly  of  curry  c.riin1.'  thai  tec&fh-ery,  cruelty  and 
mwtlr.r  c'tn invent"  and  we  still  think  sa:  but  we  are 
admonished  by  one'  of  the  fwfy  spirits  of  the  Aboli 
tion  school,  to  be  cautious  how  we  form  favorable 
opinions  of  the  future  happiness  of  slave  owners,  for 
if //*s  words  be  trrc,  what  St.  Peter  said  is  false; 
moreover,  the  Apostle  was  not  farnrd  for  much  learn 
ing,  and  it  could  not  be  expected  that  a  fisherman  of 
Galilee  could  so  comprehend  the  principles  of  matter 
and  spirit  as  to  discover  the  distinction  between  the 
icord  and  spirit  of  Christianity.  It  may  be  true  that  the 
Apostle  never  received  the  honors  of  the  literati,  and 
we  are  sure  if  is  true  that  he  never  studied  the  science 
of  Abolition  Divinity;  but  he  learned  at  the  lips  of  a 
Teacher,  even  the  immaculate,  omniscient  Saviour, 
that  "  as  the  body  without  the  spirit  is  dead,"  so  the 
word  of  Christianity  without  its  spirit  is  dead  also: 
therefore,  as  the  WORD  of  G od  justified  slavery  and 
promised  an  eternal  inheritance  to  the  merciful  slave 
owner,  the  SPIRIT  approved  the  deed— St.  Peter  re 
joiced  to  proclaim  it — and  we  are  happy  to  believe  it. 
It  has  been  asserted  by  some  whose  moral  sensibil 
ity  is  not  quite  so  austere  as  others,  that  "slavery  is 
repugnant  to  the  precpt,  t/wu  shaft  Jove  tin/  neighbor 
as  thyself '."  A  contrary  opinion  is  maintained  by  the 
best  Commentators,  who,  to  show  the  obvious  mean 
ing  of  the  words,  have  thus  transposed  them,  as  t/iou 
Invest  thyself ",  so  shouklst  thou  love  thy  neighbor. 
Thu  duties  of  religion,  says  Dr.  Coke,  "  are  all  rela 
tive,  regarding  either  God  or  man;  and  there  is  norel- 
ative  duty  which  love  does  not  readily  transform  it- 


self  into,  upon  the  uiere  view  01"  the  different  circum 
stances  of  the  persons  concerned.  X,«n?<?,  with  regard 
to  a  superior,  becoriles  honor  and  respect — with  res 
pect  to  equals,  it  is  friendship  and  benerolenc^,  towards 
inferiors,  it  is  courtesy  and  condescention.  Love  com 
pels  us  to  regard  the  person,  property  arid  character 
of  our  neighbor,  and  makes  us  ready  at  all  times  to 
do  him  service,  and  to  act  towards  him  in  every  situ 
ation  as  we  would  reasonably  expect  him  to  act  to 
us,  if  he  was  in  our  circumstance."  Thiis  the  master 
is  impelled  by  this  law  of  love  to  treat  his  slave  with 
humanity  and  benevolence — not  as  his  equal,  for 
providence  has  drawn  a  line  of  distinction  between 
them — not  to  emancipate  him,  for  it  is  not  written  in 
the  law  of  Invc  that  ho  should  do  so,  nor  has  he  just 
cause  to  believe  that  it.  would  meliorate  his  condi 
tion.  "But  not  so — away  with  your  doctrine  of  dis 
tinctions,"  exclaim  the  Abolitionists,  "  the  words  are 
to  be  construed  literally,  for  God  is  no  respecter  of 
persons."  And  if  we  are  to  love  every  member  of 
the  human  family  as  much  as  we  love  ourselves,  pray 
tell  i:s  what  is  to  become  of  the  lawr  of  nature,  and  of 
all  the  moral  and  endearing  ties  of  life.  How  unnat 
ural  must  be  the  feelings  of  that  father  who  esteems 
his  neighbor's  son  as  much  as  his  own;  and  how 
more  than  brutal  the  affections  of  the  mother  wh6 
loves  her  neighbor's  child  as  tenderly  as  her  own  off 
spring.  It  cannot  be  true  ;  for  if  this  view  of  its  mor 
al  influence  be  repugnant  to  nature,  how  rnuch  more 
appalling  to  behold  the  turmoils  and  jealousies  it  pre 
sents  to  the  rilore  delicate  relations  of  life :  for  it  is 
hardly  probable  that  the  r^/med  Abolitionist  (with  all 

5 


34 

his  benevolent  feelings  for  the  slave)  would  be  happy, 
to  believe  that  the  sable  son  of  the  Ethiopia    enjoyed 
quite  as  large  a  share  of  his  wife's  affections  as  she 
had  reserved  for  her  husband ;  and  that  his  daughter^ 
in  all  the  delicacy  of  her  nature,  knew -no  difference 
in  her  esteem  for  the  uncouth  negro,  than  for  the  re 
fined  gentleman  of  her  own  color.     Upon  such  prem 
ises,  the  doctrine  of  AMALGAMATION  is  based,  which* 
though  advocated    by  the  depraved  Garrison,  and 
sanctioned  by  the   suffrages  of  honored  Senators  as 
the  happiest  method  to  effect  a  general  emancipation  of 
our  slaves,  is  nevertheless  repugnant  to  every  senti 
ment  of  refined  humanity  and  moral  truth.    For  when 
Ezra  heard  that  the  Israelites  had  taken  the  daugh 
ters  of  the  Canaanites  for  their  wives  and  the  wives 
of  their  sons,  the  venerable  old  priest  rent  his  garment 
and  his  mantle,  and  plucked  off  the  hair  from  his  head, 
exclaiming  in  the  bitterness  of  his  heart,  "  Omij  God, 
1  am  ashamed  and  Mush  to  lift  up  my  face  to  theey 
my    God ;  for  our  trespass  is  grown  up   unto   the 
Heavens,  and  LO ! ! !  the  PRINCES  and  RULERS 
of  the  people  have  been  chief  in  the  trespass"*     Nor 
did  the  idea  of  the  grovelling  and  demoralizing  influ 
ence  of  the   transgression   originate   with  him;  for 
Abraham  who  dwrelt  among  the  sable  sons  of  Canaan, 
shuddered  at  the  thought  of  Isaac's  forming  a  connec 
tion  with  one  of  their  daughters;  for  it  is  written  that 
"  when  he  was  old,  and  well  stricken  in  age,  he  said 
unto  his  eldest  servant  that  ruled  over  all  that  he  had; 
put,  I  pray  thce,thy  hand  under  my  thigh,  and  I  will 
make  thee  swear  by  the  God  of  Heaven,  and  the  God 

•*  Ezra,  clioptrr  9,  3  6. 


35 

of  the  earth,  that  tliou  shalt  not  take  a  wife  unto  my 
son  of  the  daughters  of  the  Canaanites,  among  whom 
I  dwell ;  but  thou  shalt  go  unto  my  country  and  to  my 
kindred,  and  take  a  wife  unto  Isaac  my  son."*  Nor 
was  the  thought  less  afflictive  to  the  feelings  of  the 
chaste  Rebecca,  for  when  she  heard  that  Esau  had 
married  the  daughter  of  the  Hittite,  she  exclaimed  in 
the  anguish  of  her  heart,  "I  am  weary  of  my  life  be 
cause  of  the  daughters  of  Heth;  if  Jacob  also  take  a 
wife  of  the  daughters  of  Heth,  such  as  these  which  are 
of  the  daughters  of  the  land,  what  good  shall  my  life 
do  me."f  Moses  also  expressly  commanded  the  Israel 
ites  to  form  no  covenant  with  the  tribes  of  Canaan — 
"  thou  shalt  make  no  marriages  with  them  ;  thy 
daughters  thou  shalt  not  give  unto  their  sons,  nor  their 
daughters  shalt  thou  take  unto  thy  sons  ;"||  and 
it  should  not  be  forgotten,  that  for  the  violation 
of  this  command,  it  is  written,  "the  anger  of  the  Lord 
was  kindled  against  Israel,  and  he  sold  them  into  the 
hands  of  the  King  of  Mesopotamia,":):  who  held 
them  in  bondage  eight  years,  as  a  punishment  for  in 
dulging  their  beastly  passion  for  amalgamation. 

We  have  now  reached  that  part  of  our  argument 
which  rests  upon  the  Golden  Rule,  "  all  things  what^ 
soever  ye  would  that  men  should  do  unto  you,  do  ye 
even  so  to  them  ;for  this  is  the  law  and  the  prophets"'' 
According  to  the  exposition  of  the  ABOLITION  SCHOOL 
MEN,  this  passage  of  Holy  Writ,  paralyzes  the  ener 
gies  of  social  and  moral  society  and  arrests  the  arm  of 
civil  authority  in  all  criminal  cases.  The  son,  the 

*  Genesis  24,  14. 

t  Genesis,  27,46.    The  reader  i*  also  referred  to  Genesis  10th  chapter,  for  proof  th**- 
the  daughter*  of  Heth  were  the  descendants  of  Ham 

I  Deuteronomy  7,  1  3.  ||  Judges  3,  5  8, 


36 

pupil  and  apprentice,  have  a  right  to  demand  a  release 
from  the  restraining  obligations  imposed  upon  them: 
contrary  to  their  will,  and  the  thief,  the  murderer,  and 
the  wretch  who  prostitutes  female  innocence,  when 
arraigned  at  the  tribunal  of  justice,  have  only  to  ap 
peal  to  the  moral  sympathies  of  the  Judge  and  Jury 
with  the  prayer,  "forgive  us,  for  even  so  icouldice  do 
unto  f&eeifwewere  in  thy  circumstances,"  and  they 
are  morally  bound  to  grant  the  prayer.  And  according 
to  their  exposition,  the  rich  are  required  by  these  words 
to  make  such  a  distinction  of  their  goods  to  the  poor  as 
to  render  their  condition  more  than  tolerable.  They 
seem,  however,  to  have  forgotten  that  their  hypothesis 
embraces  more  than  Southern  slave  owners  as  trans 
gressors  of  the  precept,  we  therefore  beg  leave  to  il 
lustrate  the  consistency  of  their  exposition  by  an  al 
legory. 

A  certain  poor  man  at  the  North  approached  the 
dwelling  of  a  wealthy  Abolitionist  and  thus  accosted 
him — Sir,  I  am  poor  and  have  no  home  for  my  family  ; 
I  would  that  thou  shouldst  give  me  a  small  portion 
of  thy  large  estate,  if  it  be  but  one  of  thy  smallest 
farms,  that  I  may  the  better  provide  for  my  little  ones, 
and  not  be  tortured  in  my  last  hour  with  the  heart  ren 
ding  thought  of  leaving  them  to  be  fed  by  the  cold  hand 
of  charity — do  this  I  pray  thee,  for  even  so  would  I  do 
unto  thee,  if  1  were  in  thy  circumstance.  Now  the 
poor  man  was  silent  for  a  while  and  likewise  was  the 
rich  man,  for  the  prayer  of  the  suppliant  had  entered 
his  ears,  but  the  thought  of  granting  it  had  not  enter 
ed  into  his  heart :  wherefore  the  poor  man  importuned 
him  again,  and  appealinj  to  his  own  exposition  of  the 


37 

i 

precept,  and  to  his  benevolence  and  his   piety,  he  as 
sured  him  that  inasmuch  as  he  possessed  a  more  abun 
dant  store  of  goods  than  his  wants  required,  he  could 
not  consistently  with  the  spirit   of  Christianity  reject 
his  prayer,for  thus  is  it  written  "having foodSf  rui  <nf?it, 
let  us  therewith  be  contmt."  Now  these  words  were  re 
ceived  by  the  Abolitionist  as  something  more  orthodox 
than  the  prayer  of  the  suppliant,  wherefore  he  thus  ac 
costed  him — friend,  thou  hast  done  well  by  reminding 
me  of  those  words  of  St.  Paul,  for  they  were  written' 
specially  for  the  poor,  therefore  take  them  to  thy  sell— 
moreover,  thy  request  is  unreasonable,  for  if  I  were 
to  grant  unto  thee  what  thou  desirest,  another  and 
others  would  desire  the  same,  and  when  S  should  have 
done  likewise  to  them,  then  would  I  be  left  to  pine  in 
poverty  also — furthermore,  I  would  have  thee  know 
that  I  do  no  violence  to  the  spirit  of  Christianity  nor 
the  precepts  of  the  Bible  by  holding  my  wealth;  for 
Abraham  and  Job  and  the  Centurion  and  many  others 
of  old  abounded  in  wealth,  and  it  is  said  of  them  that 
they  were  the  servants  of  God,   yet  they  suffered  not 
their  charity  to  extend  so  far  as  to  the  giving  away  of 
their  estates  ;  nevertheless  to  the  poor  they  were  kind, 
and  so  I  trust  am  I.     Now  when  he  had  thus  spoken, 
the  poor  man  looked  with  indignant  pity  at  the  Ab 
olitionist  and  answered  hini  saying— and  so,  sir,  Abra 
ham  and  Job  and  the  Centurion  were  quite  orthodox 
in  thy  faith  of  not  sharing  their  fortunes  with  the  poor, 
but  hast  thou  forgotten  that  a  large   portion   of  their 
wealth  consisted  in  slaves?     They  were  slave  owners, 
Sir,  "  base  criminal  kidnappers"  according  to   thine 
own  words,  u  icho  in  art  and  wickedness  exceed  the 


devil"  and  wilt  thou  take  such  characters  as  ensam- 
ples  of  thy  faith  and  practice  in  deeds  of  charity? — < 
Consistency,  sir,is  ajewel  that  belongeth  to  thephilan- 
thropist,  and  if  the  measure  of  thy  philanthropy  be  so 
vast  as  to  embrace  the  poor  sons  of  Ham  who  dwell  in 
the  South,  how  canst  thou  look  with  pitiless  concern 
on  the  poverty  and  wretchedness  of  thy  kindred  of  the 
Tribe  of  Japheth,  who  sojourn  in  the  North  ?  Wouldst 
thou  know  the  burthen  of  my  heart  and  the  cause   of 
these  my  tears  I     Go  thou  to  the  Alms  House  even  of 
the  great  city  of  the  North,  and  look  at  the   pittance 
provided  by  the  rich  for  the  hungry  poor  who  call  for 
their  morsel.    And  of  what  does  it  consist  ?    Potatoes, 
sir,  Potatoes — a  scanty   share  of  Potatoes.     And  is 
this  the  boon  of  thy  charity  that  is  to  soothe  a  parents 
heart  in  his  last  hour  ?     Rnowest  thou  not,  that  thy 
most "  cruel  kidnappers"  do   more  than  this  for  their 
slaves  1     Go  thou  to  the  South  and  see  the  comforts  of 
life  which  the  more  humane  bestow  on  their  servants 
of  the  Tribe  of  Ham,  and  not  on  them  only,  but   on 
our    kindred  of  the  Tribe  of  Japheth.     If  thou  wouldst 
find  that  charity  which  bids  the  poor  man  die  in  peace, 
go  thou  to  Charleston  the  city  of  thy   "  hard  hearted 
men  stealers"  and  view   their   Orphan  House  filled 
with  fatherless  children,  fed  and  clothed  and  nurtured 
in  the  admonition  ojtke  Lord— Go  view  the  POOR  of  the 
City  and  the  Suburbs  thereof, '  supplied   abundantly 
and  daily  with  the  best  of  Bread  and  Flesh — see  the 
physicians  of  skill  and  science  employed  to  minister  to 
the  sick,  and  the  great  men  of  the  City,  like  good  Sam 
aritans  of  old,  alternately  acting  as  Overseers  of  their 
cares  and  their  wants  without  fee  or  reward — there 


go,  il  thou  wouldst  find  that  charity  which  lain  would 
wipe  the  tears  that  fall  impitied  at  the  door  of  thy 
dwelling.  And  wilt  thou  suffer  those  whom  tho§ 
callest  'the  most  depraved  of  mankind'  to  exceed  thee 
so  jar  in  chanty?  In  the  name  of  thy  boasted  phil 
anthropy,  I  adjure  thee,  go  thou  and  do  likewise,  that 
the  poor  man  of  the  North  may  also  die  in  peace. — 
Now  when  he  had  thus  spoken,  the  door  of  the  Aboli 
tionist  wras  closed  against  the  suppliant,  for  his  heart 
sickened  at  the  thought  of  the  many  virtues  of  his 
li  Southern  kidnappers"  therefore  he  determined  to 
hear  no  more  of  them.*  Nor  will  we  trespass  any 
farther  on  his  patience  by  seeking  a  just  exposition  of 
the  precept  in  the  consistency  of  his  words  and  deeds : 
neither  will  wre  be  our  own  expositor — we  prefer  offer 
ing  the  exposition  of  one  who  never  advocated  slave 
ry,  but  who  having  viewed  it  in  the  abstract,  imbibed 
prejudices  quite  as  strong  as  the  spirit  of  piety  would 
permit  him  to  indulge.  "  The  words,  says  Dr.  Dodd- 
rige,  imply  that  wre  should  treat  men  in  every  respect  just 
as  we  would  think  it  reasonable  to  be  treated  by  them, 
if  we  were  in  their  circumstances  and  they  in  ours; 
for  this  is  in  effect  the  summary  and  abstract  of  all 

*  There  is  not  a  City  in  the  world  where  such  ample  provision  is  made  for  the  Poor, 
and  the  Orphans  of  the  Poor,  as  in  Charleston.  "  Leave  thy  fatherless  children  with 
us,"  Bay  the  benevolent  inhabitants  to  the  Poor  in  their  dying:  moment?,  "and  we  will 
teach  them  to  fear  God&walk  uprightly."  Thousands  of  such  Orphans  have  been  reared 
under  the  parental  care  of'THE  HARDHEARTED  KIDNAPPERS"  ofthe  Orphan  House, 
all  of  whom  h-nve  distinguished  themselves  for  honest  industrious  habits;  some  are 
numbered  with  the  most  talented  citizens  of  Carolina,  and  not  one  has  ever  been  con- 
victcn  of  a  penal  offence.  We  have  Institutions  of  a  similar  character  but  of  less  mag 
nitude  among:  us,  andJOSIAfi  FLOURNOY  ESQ.  of  Putnam,  has  recently  contribu 
ted  40,000  Dollars  to  the  Afethodist  Conference  of  Georgia,  to  aid  in  establishing  a 
MANUAL  LABOUR  SCHOOL  in  which  some  Orphans  are  to  be  educated.  Will  not  a  few- 
more  of  the  GENEROUS  BENEFACTORS  of  Georgia  do  likewise  and  enable  the  Conference 

to  erect  a  Manual  Labour  School  Asylum  for  all  the  POOR  ORPHANS  of  the  state  1 

What  a  vast  amount  of  good  would  result  from  t<uoh  a*n  Institution,  and  how  appropri 
ately  might  the  Epitaph  of  ATOLUS  of  Rhetnif,  be  engraven  on  the  tombs  of?uch  friends 
of  Gotland  raan — u  He  f.rpf»-(cd  his  Fortune  before  him  into  Ifcavcn  by  his  charitic*, 
he  is  gone  thitherto  enjny  ?7.M 


40 

the  moral  precepts  of  the  law  and  the  propfots,  and 
it  was  one  of  the  greatest  ends  of  both  to  bring  men  to 
Tms  humane  and  equitable  temper."  Thus  the  mas 
ter,  like  Abraham  and  the  faithful  of  old,  is  required 
by  this  precept  to  treat  this  slave  with  all  that  human 
ity  and  benevolence  with  which  he  would  wish  his 
slave  to  treat  him,  provided  their  circumstances  were 
reversed. 

But  what  is  the  measure  of  that  humanity  and  be 
nevolence,  and  how  shall  it  be  meted  to  the  slave  I 
Th<»  Jews  understood  it  to  embrace  all  that  was  writ 
ten  concerning  humanity  and  benevolence  in  the  law 
an .7  ike  prophets,  for  the  precept  was  familiar  to  them 
being  one  of  their  own  maxims*  and  Wetstein  and 
Gro-tius  inform  us  that  some  of  the  Heathen  writers  so 
understood  it;  but  the  Abolitionists  have  discovered 
that  the  spirit  of  Christianity  is  not  to  be  found  in  the 
lain  and  the  prophets  concerning  shivery,  consequejit- 
ly  they  reject  the  construction.  The  Saviour,  how 
ever,  perceiving  in  the  plentitude  of  his  wisdom  that 
the  members  of  civil  society  would  be  disturbed  by 
the  discordant  opinions  of  such  extraordinary  teachers, 
expressed  the  precept  in  words  so  plain  as  to  permit 
even  the  Heathen  to  perceive  that  it  embraced  no 
thing  more  than  wras  written  in  the  I  <w  and  the  proph 
ets ;  therefore,  if  the  master  would  learn  how  far  his 
humanity  and  benevolence  should  be  extended  to  his 
slave,  and  if  the  slave  would  know  how  far  his  obedi 
ence  and  fidelity  should  be  extended  to  his  master's 
precepts  and  interest,  let  them  both  go  to  the  law  and 
th$  prophets,  for  more  than  is  written  therein,  is  not 

S««  Tobit  chip.  4,  15. 


41 

required  of  them  nor  embraced  in  the  pr*>*pn1.     And 

d      .V  '  I'tw  nn  »  /  -      •/•  */;//  if.s  require  'him   to  enimicb- 

pate  his  slave?     We  have  already  proven  t!  at  tit  re 

is  neither  vrrcrpt  nor  cj-^mpff  in  the  Bible  to  t<  ;  <  h 

hi  .»  that  it  would  be  an  ;»ct  of  justice  or  humanity  for 

to  do  so,  nor  his  he  cause  to  believe  that  it  would 

be  iwi  act  of  behrvok'toce  to  expose  his  slave  to  such 

«ruel  treatment  as  the  Free  Blacks  of  Ohio  received 

at  the  ban  Is  of  the  Abolitionists  of  that  State,  :».id 

then,   like  them,  to  be  driven  to  the  frozen  peaks  of 

Canada,  to  perish  in  the  snow.*       Thr.  kitr   and  the 

prophets  require  him  to  protect  his  slave  from  the  h<j,nd 

of  injury  and  cruelty  —  to  impose  a  reasonable  task  of 

1  ibour  on  him,  and  no  more  —  to  provide  for  his  w  :uts 

and  to  reader  his  condition  comfortable,  by  remov  ng 

from  his  mind  that  burthen  of  care  and  anxiety  for  ihe 

Ri-cess:irics  of  life,  .under  which  millions  of  the  labour 

ing  cUssof  freemen  uro  doomed  to  groan  —  to  adrnon* 

ish  him  of  his  moral  obligations  arid  to  use   iill  the 

as  in  his  power  to  have  him,  taught  his  duty  to  his 

Ma,k<  T  —  and  having  done  tins,  he  has  done  all  thiit  the 

lad'  and  the  prophets  require;  lie  has  obeyed  the  pre- 

«cpt  of  the  Saviour  ;  and  thru,  like    Abraham   the  fa,-- 

ther  of  the  faithful  and  the  friend  of  God  and  man,  he 

may  bequeath  his  servants    to  Ids  Isaac  arid  a'scend  to 

Paradise. 

And  why,  may  we  ask,  should  such  a  master  w'/oui 

*  The  remnant  of  the  Black  Colony  ol  Ohio  may  now  be  found  in  Canada,  r  poor, 
friendless,  un-tched,  w;«n<iprinii  tribe  of  him.  an  beings  To  the^i  ulien  ps  ai  d  (iceof 
fljousnee|  is  .utribuled  Tlif.ciiti^i1  o,  tlu  ir  lands  being  .a:-rn  tnm  .;.(  n.  .1  theii  I  ;i.^lb* 
men:  .  Le  it  so  A  nd  if,  in  such  a  country  HS  Ohio,  the  negro  \Mtliout  imasi  ••  >  ,  -.Id 


n<.:  iv.i-iv.uino  Itis  nf.tiirai  pri);r-iisii\   lor  i<ll  'iH---;  and  iicentiousn^  s,j-  it   .  vo!.;,!  i    that 
v  ould  in  Ai'ri'a  ?     A'ui  dues  n.-tthi-  [>rpVe  that'ie  i-   better  off  tr«»,-  thai    w       -id  a. 
;   ;••  '      vVn     tii  n  ge   !   hi    Bun   1,-ij.pMtioi,  —  tmd  wfr;    r  jno,,(.h  liao  Aimigiify  t«r  iiv 

u  o*  his  c 


the  law  and  the  prophets  approre  ;  wham  t^e  Jhviour 
and  his  apostles  hail  rs  an  heir  of  tlic  Ln  v  n  )  ini  trit- 
ance  ;  why  should  such  a  master  be  up'  raid  d  as  "a 
monster,  who  in  art  and  wickedness  exceeds  the  Prince  of 
darkness? "  And  wrhy  should  his  slave  be  told,  it  mat 
ters  not  what  is  written  in  the  Law  arid  the  Prophets, 
nor  what  the  Saviour  and  his  apostles  may  have  s  ,id 
about  slavery,  "  your  master,  who  claims  your  chvd  as 
his  property  and  nurtures  and  detains  it  in  slavery,  is 
0qually  a  man  theif  with  the  negro  stealer  on  the  coc.st  :<f 
Guinea."  Whence  the  authority  for  such  outrage  oui 
declarations?  Has  another  STAR  indeed  appeared 
in  the  EAsT,  ominious  of  a  more  merciful  f'ispensa- 
tion  to  tlie  slave,  than  that  which  was  seen  in  Bet  >!e- 
hern  or'  Judea? — and  moving  alternately  o'er  the 
dwellings  of  TAPPAN  and  GARRISON  and  thence 
in  its  marvelous  revolutions  pursuing  REMAN  on  hi* 
holy  embassy  across  the  Deep  with  his  "  image  of  Je- 
su*  the  price  of  his  slaves  in  his  pocket,"  *  have  uie 
Angels  of  heaven  proclaimed  with  louder  acclamation* 
of  joy  than  saluted  the  Shepherds  oT  Israel,  LQ  !  |  [ 
THESE,  THESE  are  the  friends  of  the  slave,  j  nd 
not  the  Saviour  and  his  Apostles  ?  Fr.iil  hum«'.n' v  — 
thou  must  be  prone  to  the  most  appalling  presuiip  'on, 
when  thy  children  measure  arms  with  JEHOVAH,  and 
extol  their  benevolence  above  the  standard  of  his  mer 
cy- 
* 

marked, 
the  vrnc( 

eted  rhe  price — nrrl  it  is  said  that  ;f  ever  he  did  an  act  that  '•/;><-•  move  r>cop  I'H'  'f  -f» 
Ifs  ranker,  he  certainly  never  did  one  that  v.-a.c  so  acceptab'e  to  I'.i*  slavt*.  H<-  ie 
gone  fo  fl;iropet')  negociate  a-ialliaiicc  \\\  'he  holy  -var:^re  a^uiiT-f,  ?!.?v.:--->T,  Qt'e.  — 
is  he  »o  seer'  aid  of  hi*  Bntgnnic  Majesty,  or  of  rbr  Fci-e,  or  o'  b^:h  A'-  '-:e  Ci^» 
»aaa  Co-,1:-*  affords  ^pri-  qu^ec-JU^enialt«kJ»l>€«iv<sl*fUpurpose«,  k«  wifl 
m»et  witk.a  gr»«t»ts  rw«§j?u»j&  rii«ro. 


43 

If  by  pr<*s<*ntin^  our  argument  in  this  point  of  view, 
we  saouid  unfortunately  trespass  on  the  sensibility  of 
those  who  would  suggest  a  happier  method  to  illus 
trate  the  absurd  and  impious  opinions  of  our  most  dead 
ly  foes,  we  cannot  help  it ;  we  have  not  been  favoured 
with  the  counsel  of  such  friends,  nor  do  we  know  that 
j;i..t\ce  and  truth  would  have  permitted  us  to  heed  their 
ad  vioiiitions.     There  is  such  a  thing  as  charity,  ana  it 
LS  said   uu.it  in  the   measure  of  its  long  suffering     nd 
less,  "it   beareth  all  things,  belie veth  all  tunics, 
hop*-».h  ail  things,  endureth  all  things  ;"  that  "  it  ( nvi- 
€ta  not,  vaunieth  not  itself,  is  not  puffed  up,  doth  not 
beaave  itself  unseemly,  seeketh  not    her  own,  is  not 
c.us.'iy  provoked,  thinluth  no  evil,  rejoiceth  not  in  ini 
quity."     We  admire  the  apostles  inimitable  picture  of 
the  Virtue,  and  would  be  extremely   happy  to    believe 
th  a  we  possessed  it  in   all  the   loveliness  of  its  true 
,  jtcr  ;  but  that  chanty  which  "  envieth  "  the   pros* 
p  r.  y  o;  ct  er- — that "  vaunteth  itself"  above  aiivir- 
tt,  —  .1  t  iS  *o  "  puffed  up  "  as  to  exalt   itself  above 
God  aad   .iis  holy  precepts — :hat  "  behaveth  itself  so 
Uliseeml)  "  as  ro  curse  those  whom  the  Saviour   and 
his  apostles  have  blessse*  —  hat  "  seeketh  her  own  * 
prosperity  and  happiness  with  such  intense  desire,  ,js 
to  M  rget  the  poverty  and  wretchedness  of  those  around 
it —  li  .t  is  so  "  easily  provoked  "  as  to  excite  others  to 
WiYich  and  vengeance  ior  no  caus  — so  "  thinketh  evil" 
Oi  its  neighbor  as  riot  to  discover  one  virtue  in  his 
he^rc     so  "rejoiceth   in  iniquity "  as  to   be  comforted 
with  no  ii  u -.r  loss  thantae  te-irs  ard  blood  of  the  inno- 
ce,  — "roin  such  ch'drity,  " -ood  Lori  deliver  us  ;  "    nd 
if  liiac  ue  its  voice  wiucii  biiig  us  "  bear  alt  these  things 


44 

with  meekness  and  patienc*  —  "believe  "  that  they 
indited  with  t  .e  purest  motives — "hope,"  that  they  are 
th  '  effusions  of  pious  hearts — ,nd  "endure"  them  as 
a  burthen  not  too  grievous  to  he  home;"  if  this  be 
Heaven-horn  charity,  nev<-r  did  our  Fathers  hr»r  its 
Yoic<>,  ,md  never  do  we  desire  to  \v».ir  it;  for  its  Ion* 
suffering  ?s  PU:BT:LLION,  and  its  kindness,  DEATH.' 

Thattiie  institutvn  V  Bondage  was  written  with 
the  linger  of  uod  and  s  tnctioned  by  the  Saviour  and 
his  Apostles,  is  a  fact  as  clearly  proven  in  the  Bible 
as  the  creaiion  of  the  world  ;  and  lie  who  affirms  that 
"  it  is  an  unjust,  cruel  institution,"  is  either  ignorant  of 
the  Scriptures  or  guilty  of  the  most  appalling  presump 
tion.  God  is  not  unjust;  he  cannot  be  cruel ;  nor  is 
injustice  and  cruelty  marked  in  the  institutions  of  !  is 
word  or  the  dispensations  of  his  providence.  He  crea 
ted  nun  a  p  re,  intelligent  spirit,  free  to  choose  good 
or  e<  ii.  The  latter  was  unhappily  his  choice,  and  that 
choice  constituted  him  an  heir  of  mortality,  entailing 
on  His  posterity  its  numberless  ills.  It  was  then  that 
the  compassionate  eye  of  his  Creator  was  specially  di 
rected  to  his  condition  ;  and  when  he  beheld  his  pos- 
tcr.ty  already  oppressed  with  the  crres  of  poverty  and 
want — "when  the  children  and  sucklings  swooned  ;a 
thr-  streets;  when  they  cried  for  bread,  and  no  mam 
gave  it  unto  them,"  then  did  he  institute  Bondage  as 
L;e  means  of  affording  protection  and  succour  to  those 
who  were  destitute  of  both  ;  not  to  augment  the  mise 
ries  of  the  poor,  hut  to  save  them  from  greater  calami- 
fees  ;  not  as  a  license  hi  injustice  and  cruelly ,  for  MER 
CY,  with  her  own  right  hand  indited  its  Laws,  and  JUS 
TICE,  wii&  &e  beal  *j  Meavea  stair/pt 


45 

That  the  imstit.iit.ion  has  b^rn    nii.^rd  and  its  laws 

!  olated  in  many  instances,  we  do  not  deny  ;  but 

r  i       r  the  proof  of  its  injustice  and  cruelty,  nor 

®f  the  accountability  of  its  author  -or  its  abuses.  For 
ii  its  abuses  be  received  as  evidences  of  its  injustice 
and  cruelty,  tbe  same  may  be  said  of  Christianity 

•o  liistory  is  marked  with  darker  features  of  rnor- 
,»r;j,\ry  than  bondage  itself — and  if  God  be  ac 
countable  for  the  abuses  of  one.  he  is  equally  accounta 
ble  tor  the  abuses  of  the  other ;  and  if  accountable 
for  both,  "  then  is  the  just  God,  whose  justice  "  is  said 
to  be  "  dr.j  habitation  of  his  throne ; "  "  whose  merer 
is  lire  at  unto  the  heavens  and  who  has  reserved  the  un 
just  and  cruel  man  unto  the  day  of  Judgment  to  be 
punished" — then  is  that  just  and  merciful  Being  the 
author  of  that  injustice  and  cruelty,  which  he  is  bound 
by  his  holy  word  to  punish  in  the  day  of  judgment.  It 
is  not  true — God  is  riot  the  author  of  the  injustice  ani 
orueity  which  is  marked  in  the  history  of  slavery.  T* 
man  belongs  the  guilt,  the  guilt  of  having  violated  the 
L;W.>  oi  a  merciful  institution,  which,  with  all  its  abus 
es  has  proven  a  blessing  to  millions  of  the  human  race 
ami  afforded  protection  and  succour  to  millions  of  oth 
ers,  who  would  otherwise  have  fallen  victims  to  the 
sword  or  famine. 

Uoiidage  was  originally  a  compact  between 
tfie  master  and  the  slave,  based  upon  the  princi 
ple  of  mutual  benefit  and  sanctioned  by  the  Law  of 
$  nai.  The  morality  of  that  law  we  have  defended 

i.ist  the  insidious  attacks  of  the  A  olition   Priest- 
hood,  but  we  find  another  law  imposing  bondage  on 
•!'  man,  winch,  though  stanipt  witk  Ike 


46 

of  human  depravity,  is  nevertheless  an  additional 
proof  of  hb  having  meliorated  tne  condition    or  mil* 
lions  even  in  its  worse  state.     History  informs  us  that- 
all  nations  of  antiquity,  the  Israeli^  s  nor  excepted,  re- 
g  i.rtkd  tile  privelege  either  to  lull  or  enslave  their  priso 
ners,  as  a  ri-ht  secured  to  them   by  the  laws   of  war. 
The  uibeon.ces  were  enslaved  by  the  special  order  of 
Joshua ;  the  Assyrians  and  Babylonians  followed  the 
«x mple,  ana  Shaimanezar  and  Nebuchadnezzar  with 
all  tiller  evil  propensities,  preferred  rather   to  enslave 
tin.:  tr.bes  of  Israel  than  destroy  them.  The  Phoenician* 
ami  Cartimgenians  were  governed  by  the  same  motives, 
an:!  tiie  tuvcians,  Trojans   and  others  continued   ta* 
tiortof  enslaving  their  captms.     Thus  when  Juliu* 
Cesar  nad  ciosea  ins  invasion  against  Britain,  he  trans 
ported  iiis  pnst  ners  to  Rome  and  sold  them  as  slaves, 
soon  r  lh<;n  put  them  to  tiie  sword,     Faulu*   Enaims 
also  transported   150,000   after   the  seige   of  Epnus  ; 
ami  it  is  said  that  when  Augustus  Cesar  had  conqu  r- 
eu  tiie  Sahssii  his  noble  spirit  prompted  him  to  mjict 
^mildest  punishment  on  his  captives  that  the  law* 
©i  vvar  \vouici  permit,  and  he  accordingly  sold  them  a* 
*i.-i   3-s.     in  Airica  also,  where  the  horrors  of  war  hav* 
b-  en  extended  so  lar  that  it  was  customary   for  King* 
aii,i  Princes  to  thatch    their  inns  and  walls   with   ih* 
boa;  6  of  ciieir   capdvos,   bondage  with  ail  its  "  moral 
in^uity/'  has  been  the  means  o'   transporting  millions 
w:.o  would  otherwise  have  fallen  victims  to  the  barbari 
ty  of  man.     And  would  it  indeed  have  been  better  ior 
those  who   were    brought  to  the  south   to  have  b  <  n 
butchered  in  Africa  or  held  there  in  bondage  to    more 

o 

s  ?     We  aaunot  look  <tt  Ui«  k^terv  *f  1»« 


49 

AY:c?m  «l?iTe  trade  and  mirk  with  paffcn^  the  pirt 
w'.ich  ut<"  Abolitionists  and  tiieir  L^IMS  {? r  or .SUM  n 
i  tragic  sociio.  li  #uilt  be  attached  to  the  "  ;ct  of 
transporting  the  poor  sons  of  A  r  >m  the  hou  of 

their  i;ulu  r,-,"  u>  them  i  not  to  us  *       a 

1  20,  a  Dutch  vessel  under  authority  fyom  t 
Cv>v  ni;:««  n  ,  i.ro.i^ni  die  first  Airic.iiis  10  the   United 
States  and  sold  ti.ei-  ves  in  Virginia.     Froa,  that 

pcr.od  the  trade  was  continued  under  the  s;:n..tiou  of 
his  Britannic  iYlajes:^,  mril  millions  had  been  import 
ed  within  his  <,oiit. irons  In  176o,  South  C:.n 
that  native  stati  Oi  painctisiii,  virtue  arid  elo«..Uv-iiee^ 
]>  issed  an  ace  in  her  colonial  capacity  interdicting  the 
Trudeiii  her  i  or:s.  •  Oid England,  by  \\vi  voice  o  ti-.r 
'  i  spirits  spurned  the  act,  and  IS  etc  Eti^lanu,  ,.-v 
the  voice  of  her  compassionate  sons  rosj-j  ed,  cur 
snu.sareladt-n  and  ready  ior  the  Traffic.  Thus  was 
th  ride  continued;  and  so  long  as  they  couid  baiv^r 
tli  r  Riim  ior  u  the  poor  som  of  Africa,"  it  was  y.n  act 
of  .larnaititij  LO  cram  them  int;te  filthy  holes  of  \\\  ir 
sh  ps  in  sucli  crowds,  as  to  cause  hundreds  to  per.sk 
.€>ii  ti.i.  wa)  "fruM,  the  home  of  their  fathers" — hut  v/l,«..i 
tli  j  can  no  ongcr  be  beneiiited  by  tiie  triric,  when  thry 

*  Li  the  debate  on  the  Missouri  question,  a  Senat(,r  from  South  Carolina  iirroc'noei 
»t:u  senate  01  the  Unite.;  States,  a  document   from  the  Custom  fiou^e  .-,{  s 
'  g  tht  name;-  and  owners  .  i  vessels  engaged  ii.  the  Atrerui  elav< 

In  ream    the  document,  the  name  of  De  Wolfe  was  repeatedly  called.    Lc  i       t 
wa-  the  senator  eteciot  Rhode  Island,  was  pre-.i  :t,  but  had  ,.ot  lipen  qua^'flt-d     1  lie 
Carolina  Senator  was  ca':ed  to  order— ' order,  onitr,"  ecluecl  thn-b-h  thr  Sei  nte 
Hall,  'it  11  con  rary  to  order  to  call  the  iia.ne  OT  a  Senator,"  said  ; 
Meman     The  senator  contended  that  he  was  not  owt  of  --rder,  tor  the  *.  n 

Kn  ,;le  Jwand  had  not  been  qualified  and  consequently   \va>iiotei  ?  — he 

appealed  to  the  Chair  ;  Mie  Ciia  r  replied  "  \  c..u  are  correct,  sir,  proceed  "— 
hedi/J,calhngtbenameof  De  Woll(    ooften- that  beibrehehadfin    I      i 


m 

the  fat?  wretcft&s  "  whdrfl  they  sold  if*  ra»s  asd 
savage  ignorance,  comfortably  clothed  and  nur  ureel  in 
the  principles  of  Christianity,  then  is  discovered  "  a 
f  loud  of  vengei'nee  ready  to  pour  its  streams  of  fire 
on  our  beloved  country  because  of  the  bonds  of  the 
poor  slaves  "  w1 101 11  they  brought  in  fetters  from  he 
coast  of  Africa.  "Something  must  be  done  to  MY  rt 
the  awful  calamity,"  s:;ys  one  ;  "  we  must  wage  an  '  x-. 
terminating  war  against  the  accursed  sin  of  -slavery," 
eries  the  holy  Priest,  with  the  price  of  his  slaves  in 
his  pocket — "yes,  we  must  send  an  ambassador  to  the 
Throne  of  his  Britannic  Majesty  to  negocaite  an  alli 
ance  in  the  holy  war'.urc,"  says  anoih'-r  godly  Priest* 
"for  if  our  Republic  cannot  stnnd  but  upon  the  nocice 
•f  two  millions  of  my  fellow  beings— l^t  it  fall,  let  it 
fall,  though  I  be  crushed  ben-ath  it."  *  rious  souk ! ! ! 
eould  they  prevail  on  the  noble  friends  of  Liberty  and 
ef  the  Union  at  the  North,  to  heed  their  admonitions,,- 
kow  soon  would  we  realize  the  horrors  of  a  civil  war. 
These  compassionate  friends  of  -these  "  two  million* 
•f  fellow  beings  "  desire  to  have  them  exported  to  "  the 
beloved  home  of  their  fathers,"  and  Parke  in  his  travel* 
in  Africa,  informs  us  that  there  is  no  section  oi  the 
Globe  which  exhibits  such  app  din  4  pictures  of  slave* 
ry  £.s  this  beloved  home  of  their  fathers,  nor  is  there  % 
country  to  be  found  where  liberty  is  less  value  d  or  sus 
pended  on  more  fortuitous  circumstances.  There  the 
late  of  war  seals  the  destiny  of  the  captive,  and  if  we 
add  famine";  says  he,  to  the  unceasing  and  bloody  con 
flicts  which  prevail  throughout  Africa,  these  constitute 
the  fruitful  and  endless  sources  of  that  cruel  bondage 

'*  Sec  ihc  Rev.  Mt.JMay's  Disortatita  on  the 


41) 

with  which  millions  of  its  inhabitants  are  oppressed. 
During  the  years  of  scarcity  which  frequently  occur, 
great  numbers  are  seen  surrendering  their  liberty  to 
save  their  lives ;  and  as  large  families  are  generally 
the  more  exposed  to  absolute  want,  it  is  not  uncom 
mon  to  see  children  sold  by  their  parents  to  purchase 
provisions  for  the  rest  of  the  family.  Bruce  in  his 
travels  in  Africa,  al^so  testifies  to  the  truth  of  these 
statements,  and  gives  the  most  appalling  picture  of  its 
walking  skeletons,  and  of  the  lawless  rapine  which 
every  where  prevail  during  those  years  of  scarcity. 
To  export  our  slaves  to  such  a  country  where  misery 
abounds,  and  where  life  and  liberty  are  suspended  on 
the  whims  of  savage  kings,  may  be  an  act  of  the  kind 
est  charity  in  the  estimation  of  the  benevolent  Aboli 
tionists,  but  in  the  opinion  of  their  masters,  it  would 
be  such  an  act  of  inhumanity  as  would  have  brought 
upon  the  slave  owners  of  Ephesus  and  Colosse,  the 
reprobation  of  the  Saviour  and  his  Apostles.  ' 

We  will  now  proceed  to  examine  the  practicability 
of  the  schemes  which  have  been  devised  by  the  com 
passionate  friends  of  our  slaves  for  their  emancipation 
and  to  present  them  in  the  most  favorable  point  of 
view,  we  will  suppose  that  their  holy  embassador  had 
returned  from  his  Majesty's  kingdom  with  the  glad 
tidings  of  a  happy  revolution  of  the  laws  of  nature  and 
barbarism  in  Africa — that  the  Apocalyptic  Angel  of 
Mercy  had  visited  the  country  and  at  his  appearance 
disease  and  rapine  hid  their  ghastly  faces  and  the  din 
of  war  and  rumours  of  wars  had  ceased  to  be  heard — 
that  he  produced  credentials  of  the  fact,  under  the  seal 
of  his  royal  Majesty  and  witnessed  by  the  sainted 

7 


50 

Thompson — that  he  also  produced  testimonials  from 
the  Queen  of  Spain  stating  that  through  her  agency 
the  Court  of  Madrid  had  formed  an  alliance  with  the 
republics  of  South  America,  to  which  was  appended 
their  most  solemn  asseverations,  that  the  annual  im 
portation  of  100,000  Africans  within  their  dominions 
should  now  and  forever  cease,  and  if  "the  Southern 
kidnappers"  would  consent  to  have  their  slaves  ex 
ported  to  Africa,  not  a  hair  of  their  heads  should  be 
touched — under  such  auspicious  circumstances,  we 
will  suppose  that  they  assent  to  the  proposition  pro 
vided  they  be  paid  a  reasonable  price  far  their  slaves, 
and  that  the  Government  and  the  Abolitionists. agree 
to  the  terms — now  let  us  see  whether  their  united  en 
ergies  will  be  adequate  to  the  task  of  exporting  them 
to  "  the  home  of  their  fathers"  The  number  of  slaves 
in  the  United  States  is  estimated  at  2,400,000— the 
average  price  could  not  be  less  than  300  dollars—add: 
to  this  the  expense  of  transportation  and  support  tin- 
til  they  could  clear  and  cultivate  a  sufficiency*  of  land 
to  support  themselves,  100  dollars  more ;  this  increas 
es  the  price  of  each  slave  to  400  dollars — 2,400,000 
slaves  would  therefore  cost  the  General  Government 
and  the  Abolitionists  960,000,000  of  dollars.  Not 
withstanding  many  princely  fortunes  may  be  found 
among  the  followers  of  Tappan,  we  fan ijy  that  before 
one  tenth  of  that  amount  was  paid,  there  would  be 
such  a  scarcity  of  cash  in  their  pockets  and  of'  spoils' 
in  the  Treasury,  as  to  produce  more  doleful  lamenta 
tions  in  Congress  than  were  ever  uttered  there  for  the 
fate  of  our  slaves. 

But  it  is  said  by  some, "  we  do  not  propose  to  export 

$ 


them  immediately — the  work  must  be  gradual."  Pro 
fessor  Dew  in  his  learned  and  masterly  rerien  of  the 
debate  in  the  Virginia  Legislature  on  this  subject,  l\as 
proven  with  mathematical  accuracy  the  impossibility  of 
effecting  the  object  even  in  this  way.  The  annual  in 
crease  of  our  black  population  is  at  least  100,000,  and 
this  number  is  proposed  to  be  sent  off,  so  as  to  prevent 
an  increase  of  the  original  stock.  Here  is  at  once 
the  enormous  sum  of  40,000,000  of  dollars  to  be  paid 
annually,  and  at  the  expiration  of  a  hundred  years,  the 
original  stock  of  2,400,00  would  remain  to  be  export 
ed.  And  "  long,  very  long,  says  Professor  Dew,  be 
fore  the  colony  in  Africa  could  receive  even  the  in 
crease  of  this  accumulating  capital,  its  recipient  would 
be  checked  by  the  limitation  of  territory  and  the  rap 
id  tilling  up  of  the  population,  both  by  emigration  and 
natural  increase.  Ring  Canute  the  Dane,  seated  on 
the  sea  shore  and  ordering  the  rising  flood  to  recede 
from  his  royal  feet,  was  not  guilty  of  more  vanity  and 
presumption  than  the  Government  of  the  United 
States  would  manifest,  in  the  vain  effort  of  removing 
and  colonizing  the  annual  increase  of  our  blacks.  So 
far  from  doing  it,  they  would  not  be  able  to  send  off  a 
number  sufficiently  great  to  check  even  the  geometri 
cal  rate  of  increase"  The  colony  in  Liberia,  after 
all  the  efforts  of  its  friends  for  nearly  twenty  years^ 
contains  perhaps,  not  more  than  3000  inhabitants ; 
and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bacon,  one  of  its  most  zealous  sup 
porters,  declared  in  a  speech  before  the  Colonization 
Society,  that  "the  additional  number  of  1000  landing 
at  once,  might  ruin  the  colony."  Again,  we  are  told 
by  Mr,  A&hmun,  the  friend  and  agent  of  the  colony, 


52 

that "  rice  does  not  grow  spontaneously  in  Liberia,  and 
laborious  men  accompanied  only  with  their  natural 
proportion  of  inefficients  must  be  sent  there,  lest  the 
inhabitants  be  reduced  to  want" — and  he  further  ad- 
yises  that  "inefficient  laborers  should  be  kept  in 
Jlmerica  where  they  can  do  something  by  picking  out 
cotton  or  stemming  tobacco,  to  wards  supporting  them 
selves."  Thus  we  see  with  all  the  fine  things  that 
have  been  told  us  of  that  "Asylum  of  Liberty'" — it  is 
no  place  for  such  slaves  as  can  only  pick  out  cotton 
and  stem  tobacco,  nor  is  there  space  nor  means  with 
in  its  borders,  for  the  support  of  one-ninetieth  part  of 
the  annual  increase  of  our  slaves. 

If  with  these  facts  we  take  into  consideration  the 
mortality  which  has  always  attended  the   settlement 
of  Colonies,  we  will  at  once  perceive  the  benovolence 
of  the  scheme  of  colonizing  the  blacks.     Professor 
Dew  remarks  that  one  of  the  greatest  attempts  at  col 
onization  in  modern  times,  was  the  effort  of  the  French 
to  plant   12,000  emigrants  on  the  coast  of  Guiana. 
The  consequence  was,  that  in  a  very  short  time  10,000 
of  them  lost  their  lives  in  all  the  horrors  of  despair — 
2,000  returned  to  France — the  scheme  failed  and  25, 
000,000  of  Francs,  says  Raynal,  were  totally  lost. 
Seventy  five  thousand  Christians,  says  Mr.  Eaton  in  his 
account   of  the  Turkish   Empire,  were  expelled  by 
Russia  from  the  Crimea  and  repaired  to  the  country 
deserted  by  the  Nogai  Tartars — and  in  a  few  years 
7,000  only  remained.     In  like  manner  if  100,000  Ne 
groes  with  careless  and  filthy  habits  were  annually 
sent  off  to  the  insalubrious  clime  of  Africa,  what  would 
foe  their  fate  ?     In  1787  the  British  planted  a  Colony 


of  negroes  in  Sierra  Leone — The  intemperance  and 
imprudence  of  the  emigrants  brought  on  a  mortality 
which  reduced   the  number  nearly  one  half  the  first 
year,  and  after  a  lapse  of  twenty  years,  their  rights  and 
possessions  were  surrendered  to  the  British  Crown. 
During  the  brief  period  of  its  existence,   says  Mr. 
Dew,  "  it  has  been  visited  by  all  the  plagues  that  Col 
onial  establishments  are  heir  to.     It  has  been  cursed 
with  intemperance,  desertion,  civil  wars  and  insurrec 
tions.     It  has  experienced  famines,   and  suffered   in 
sult  and  pillage.     Its  numbers  have  been  thinned  by 
the  blighting  climate  of  Africa,  and  it  has  been  con 
tinually  engaged  in  wars  with  the  neighboring  African 
tribes" — Colombia  and  Gautemala  have  tried  the  dan 
gerous  experiment  of  Colonization,   and  Mr.  Dunn 
has  given  the  following  picture  of  the  latter — "  With 
a  colored  population  drunken  and  revengeful,  her  fe 
males  licentious,  and  her  males  shameless,  she  ranks 
as  a  true  child  of  that   accursed  city  which  still  re 
mains  as  a  living  monument  of  the  fulfilment  of  pro 
phecy  and  of  every  unclean  and  hateful  bird.     Not 
a  day  passes  without  murder — on  fast  days   and  on 
Sundays,  the  average  number  killed  is  from  four  to 
five.     From  the  number  admitted  in  the  Hospital  of 
St.  Juan  deDios  in  the  year  1827  near  1500  were  stab 
bed,  of  whom  from  three  to  four  hundred  died."  With 
these   and  many  other  instances   of  the  hazardous 
schemes  of  Colonization  which  stand  in  "  bold  relief" 
before  the  eyes  of  the   compassionate  Abolitionists, 
they  seem  determined  to  wage  a  perpetual   warfare 
against  the  happy  condition  of  our  slaves. 

But  we  had  almost  forgotton  to  mention  another  of 


54 

their  benevolent  schemes.  Some  have  suggested  the 
plan  of  "  taking  off  the  breeding  portion  of  the  slaves 
to  Jlfrica,  or  carrying  away  the  sexes  in  such  dispro 
portions  as  will  in  a  measure  prevent  those  lejt  be 
hind  from  breeding:"  All  these  plans  says  Profes 
sor  Dew,  "  merit  nothing  more  than  the  appellation 
of  vain  juggling  conceits,  unworthy  of  amoral  man. 
If  our  slaves  are  to  be  sent  away  in  any  systematic 
manner,  humanity  demands  that  they  should  be  sent 
in  families.  The  voice  of  the  world  would  condemn 
us  if  we  sanctioned  any  plan  of  deportation  by  which 
the  male  and  female,  husband  and  wife,  parent  and 
child,  were  systematically  and  relentlessly  separated." 
If  the  compassionate  feelings  of  the  Abolitionists 
prompt  them  to  choose  this  method  to  regulate  "  the 
moral  evil  of  slavery"  they  had  better  adopt  the  plan 
suggested  by  the  learned  Professor,  of  keeping  the 
male  and  female  separate  in  ergastula  or  dungeons, 
and  then  when  one  generation  will  pass  away,  the 
moral  evil  will  cease  of  itself— leaving  them  the  pleas 
ing  reflection  of  being  sustained  in  the  humane  and 
merciful  scheme  of  its  destruction,  if  not  by  "  the 
Scriptures  of  the  New  Testament,"  at  least  by  the 
counsel  of  Xenophon  in  his  Economics  and  the  prac 
tice  of  Cato  and  Censor. 

With  this  brief  view  of  the  impracticability  of  the 
schemes  of  emancipation,  we  beg  leave  to  remark  that 
from  the  da)  s  of  the  Patriarchs  to  the  present  period, 
whether  from  choice,  necessity  or  misfortune,  at  least 
two  thirds  of  mankind  have  been  working  for  the  rest ; 
and  whether  they  toil  in  the  capacities  of  hirelings 
or  bond-servants,  so  long  as  man  is  clothed  with  mor- 


lality,  this  state  of  things  will  exist.  \ow  the  ques 
tion  occurs,  which  state  is  best  adapted  to  the  capa 
cities  and  wants  of  the  negro  1  To  ascertain  this  im 
portant  point  of  our  argument,  we  must  resort  to 
comparisons.  We  have  already  spoken  of  the  wretch 
ed  condition  of  the  colonists  in  Sierra  Leone  pnd  Gau- 
temala,  and  if  we  add  the  free  blacks  of  Hayti  to  the 
number,  the  aggregate  amount  of  their  miseries  will 
be  diminished  but  little.  And  who  cannot  perceive 
thaUAetr  condition  is  infinitely  worse  than  the  slaves 
of  the  most  cruel  owners  ?  But  we  will  not  confine 
our  comparison  to  persons  of  their  own  color  and 
habits — In  England,  Ireland,  Wales  and  Scotland, 
where  it  is  said  the  benign  influence  of  Christianity  has 
driven  domestic  slavery  "  to  a  more  savage  clime," 
the  generous  and  benevolent  lords  of  the  soil  exact 
such  exorbitant  rents  from  the  Peasantry  as  to  com 
pel  much  the  larger  portion  of  them  to  feed  all  the 
year  on  oatmeal  and  potatoes  and  frequently  without 
salt — and  when  bowed  under  the  weight  of  years  and 
infirmity,  they  are  exported  either  to  the  "land  of  sla 
very"  to  be  fed  by  the  hand  of  charity,  or  suffered  to  pine 
under  the  griping  pangs  of  hunger,  in  "  the  land  of 
Liberty  "  In  Poland  the  fate  of  the  laboring  class  is 
still  worse,  and  it  should  not  be  forgotten  that  their 
miseries  have  been  increased  since  their  personal  lib 
erty  was  granted  them.  Through  the  agency  of  Sta 
nislaus  Augustus,  that  boon  was  conferred  in  1791, 
and  so  far  from  its  proving  a  blessing  to  the  peasan 
try,  it  has  proven  a  curse,  both  with  regard  to  its  influ 
ence  on  their  morals  and  their  means  of  subsistence. 
They  are  in  fact  still  slaves,  says  Burnett  in  his  view 


5G 

the  present  state  of  Poland,  and  relatively  to  their  po 
litical  existence,  as  absolutely  subject  to  the  will  of 
their  lords,  as  in  all  the  barbarism .  of  the  feudal 
times.  In  China  millions  of  freemen  are  said  to  taste 
notcholesome  meat  throughout  the  whole  of  the  toil 
some  year — frequently  see  their  families  perishing  be 
fore  their  eyes — seek  with  eagerness  the  vilest  garbage 
from  the  river  or  canal  and  voraciously  devour  meat 
which  our  negroes  would  cast  to  the  dogs  and  vul 
tures  of  the  air.  And  will  any  man  affirm  that  the 
bondage  of  our  slaves  is  not  more  than  equivalent  to 
the  liberty  of  such  freemen  ?  But  let  the  contrast  be 
brought  even  nearer  home — thousands  at  the  North, 
who  having  toiled  all  their  lives  in  the  service  of  the 
landholders  and  manufacturers  for  no  more  than  a  mea 
gre  support,  are  doomed  in  the  evening  of  their  days  to 
beg  a  morsel  in  the  Streets  and  Highways — And  is  not 
their  condition  infinitely  wrorse  than  the  bondage  of 
our  slaves  who  are  daily  supplied  with  bread,  meat, 
and  vegetables,  and  frequently  with  milk  and  refresh 
ing  drinks  ?  But  the  other  day,  we  saw  a  lady  of  re 
finement  making  with  her  own  hands  a  comfortable 
bed  for  an  old  slave  who  told  her  that  his  mattrasg. 
was  too  hard  to  afford  him  comfortable  sleep.  For 
his  owners,  who  are  in  very  moderate  circumstances, 
he  has  not  toiled  an  hour  for  many  years,  and  their 
children  vie  with  each  other  for  the  privilege  of  wait 
ing  on  "  DADDY"  with  his  meals,  consisting  of  meat, 
bread  and  coffee,  and  such  other  articles  of  food  as 
their  table  affords.  Nor  are  such  instances  uncom 
mon  in  the  slave-holding  States — the  slave  who  is 
bowed  under  the  weight  of  years  and  infirmity  is  the 


favorite  of  every  humane  family — and  it  should  not  be 
forgdtton,  that  the  anticipation  of  being  overtaken  by 
age  and  infirmity  without  a  penny  iii  our  pockets  or  a 
friend  to  minister  to  our  wants,  constitute  the  sum 
mary  of  that  care  and  anxiety  writh  which  millions  of 
freemen  are  oppressed,  and  from  which  our  slaves  are 
relieved.  / 

"  Hut  they  groan  under  bondage  — perpetual 
bondage,  and  who"  says  the  Abolitionist,  "  can 
bear  the  thought  of  perpetual  bondage  ?"  These  ab 
stract  and  vindictive  remarks  have  been  uttered  with 
as  little  regard  for  the  history  of  man  as  for  the  pre 
cepts  of  the  Bible.  It  is  a  fact  as  notorious  as  the 
divinity  of  the  Scriptures,  that  the  merciful  Creator 
of  the  universe  has  implanted  in  the  bosom  of  man  a 
principle  of  contentment,  which  if  not  disturbed  by  av 
arice  or  some  rebellious  spirit,  never  fails  to  produce 
that  resignation  to  his  condition  and  the  dispensations 
of  Providence,  which  is  essential  to  his  present  and 
future  happiness.  But  for  the  influence  of  this  moral 
principle,  "godliness  with  contentment"  wonldbe  driv 
en  from  the  cottages  of  the  f  virtuous  poor — the  mis 
sionary  would  exchange  the  toils  and  privations  of  his 
beggarly  life,  for  a  more  lucrative  occupation— and 
our  slaves  would  long  ago  have  heeded  the  counsel  of 
their  compassionate  friends  and  imbrued  their  hands 
in  the  blood  of  their  owners.  The  existence  of  this 
principle  is  not  only  essential  to  the  peace"  of  society 
but  to  all  the  operations  of  honesty  and  benevolence; 
and  that  charity  which  supposes  that  the  slave  under' 
its  moral  influence  is  capable  of  estimating  liberty  so 
high,  as  to  render  life  intolerable,  has  neither  history 

8 


58 

nor  scripture  to  support  it.  Greece  and  Rome  hart 
furnished  many  instances  of  persons  distinguish 
ed  for  learning  and  talents,  who  were  so  governed  by 
this  law  of  contentment  as  to  be  happy  in  bondage. — 
Epictetus,  Terence,  ^Esop  and  Phoidrus  were  slaves; 
Daphnis  the  Grammarian  was  a  slave,  and  Roscius 
the  actor,  whose  talents  it  is  said,  permitted  him  to 
gain  annually  for  his  master  upwards  of  1 7,000  dollars, 
was  also  a  slave.  Thus  we  see  that  the  minds  of  men 
have  not  all  been  cast  in  one  common  mould — for 
while  some  prefer  death  to  bondage,  others  like  the 
Gibeonites  prefer  to  be  "hewers  of  wood  and  drawers 
of  water  unto  all  the  congregation  of  Israel,"  sooner 
than  perish  by  the  sword  of  Joshua.* 

Nor  does  this  variety  of  human  opinions  end  here? 
for  we  find  that  from  the  days  of  the  Patriarchs  to  the 
present  period,  some  have  even  prefered  bondage  to 
liberty,  and  so  far  from  the  act  being  repugnant  to  the 
will  of  Heaven,  it  has  received  the  special  approbation 
of  Deity — "And  God  spake  these  words,  saying — If 
thou  buy  a  Hebrew  servant,  six  years  he  shall  serve, 
and  in  the  seventh  he  shall  go  out  free  for  nothing. — 
If  his  master  has  given  him  a  wife,  and  she  has  borne 
him  sons  or  daughters  ;  the  wife  and  her  children  shall 
be  her  masters,  and  he  shall  go  out  by  himself.  And 
if  the  servant  shall  plainly  say,  I  love  my  master,  my 
wife,  and  my  children ;  I  will  not  go  out  free  :  Then 
his  master  shall  bring  him  unto  the  Judges  ;  he  shall 
also  bring  him  unto  the  door,  or  unto  the  post  of  the 
door  ;  and  his  master  shall  bore  his  ear  through  with 

"  Sec  Joshua,-  Chapter  9. 


59 

an  awl ;  and  he  shall  serve  him   forever-."*     Thus  we 
sec  instances  of  men  prcfe ring  bondage  to    liberty, 
even  among  the  Israelites.     But   how  do  these  pre 
cepts  of  the  Almighty  Arbiter  ofthe  universe  accord 
with  the  divinity  of  the  Abolitionists  I     Most  wretch 
edly— for  according  to  the  opinions  of  their  most  holy 
and  learned  Divines,  the  master  of  the    Hebrew— 
"wkf>  nurtured  and  detained  his  children  in  bondage 
to  as  as  verily  a  kid  tapper  as  if  he*  had  stolen  them 
jrom  the  coast  of  Guinea" — and  not  to  upraid  him  as 
"  a  base,  criminal  monster'11  unworthy  of  the  esteem  of 
his  servant — -not  to  threaten  him  with  "Heaven's  deep 
est,  vengeful  curse" — and  not  to  denounce  slavery  as 
"  amoral  evil — a  curse  to  the  poor — and  a  disgrace  to 
Christianity" — not  to  do  at  least  so  much  for  the  com 
fort  of  the  poor  Hebrew  slave,  was  such  "  an  outrage 
on  the  principles  of  philanthropy"  as  their  tender  con 
sciences  cannot  endure.     But  as  the  beneficent  Crea 
tor  was  not  an   Abolitionist,  his   compassion    would 
neither  permit  him  to  order  the  Israelite  to  emancipate 
his  slaves,  nor  to  denounce  him  as  "a  kidnapper"  for 
"  nurturing  and  detaining  them  in  bondage" — and  as 
the  Hebrew  loved  his  master,  his  wife   and  his  chil 
dren,  and  prefered   bondage  to  liberty,  he  indulged 
him  in  his  choice,  not  only  because  it  was  congenial 
to  his  feelings,  but  because  INFINITE  WISDOM  perceived 
that  its  condition  was  better  adopted  to  his  capacity 
and  his  wants. 

Similar  instances  have  frequently  occurred  in  the 
Southern  States,  and  we  recollect  to  have  been  pres 
ent  at  the  appraisement  of  an  estate  of  a  wealthy 

*  Gencaia 20  Chapter  1,  and  21  Chapter  2,6. 


60 

Planter,  where  a  scene  occurred  which  would  have 
afforded  the  benevolent  advocates  of  emancipation 
but  little  comfort.  The  master  of  that  estate  had 
been  in  the  habit  of  giving  his  negroes  a  portion  of 
land  to  cultivate,  the  proceeds  of  which  were  applied 
to  their  own  purposes.  A  slave  as  remarkable  forjiis 
intelligence  and  morality,  as  for  his  industry  and  fru 
gality,  was  appraised  at  a  sum  not  equivalent  to  the 
treasure  of  his  chest.  A  gentleman  aware  of  the 
fact  observed  to  him,  "  well  uncle  Tom,  you  have  now 
an  opportunity  of  appropriating  your  funds  to  the 
purchase  of  your  freedom — no,  no,  Sir,  said  Tom — 
I've  no  desire  to  part  with  Mistress  and  my  young 
Masters,"1  especially  at  this  time — and  I  don't  know, 
Sir,  what  I'd  gain  by  buying  myself — for  if  I  was  to 
buy  myself,  I'd  have  to  take  care  of  myself,  and  if 
I  don't  buy  myself.  Mistress  and  my  young  Masters 
will  have  to  take  care  of  me."  This  remark  induced 
the  gentleman  to  ask  him  why  he  had  been  so  careful 
of  his  money  if  he  wished  not  to  apply  it  to  that  pur 
pose  ?  To  this  he  readily  replied — "  why  Sir,  my 
Master  who  I  know  is  gone  to  Heaven,  always  gave 
me  a  plenty  of  food  and  clothes,  and  I  had  no  occa 
sion  to  spend  it — and  as  I've  seen  some  folks  rich  one 
year,  and  poor  next,  I  thought  I'd  keep  it,  and  if  ever 
thai  lot  fell  to  my  Master,  I'd  give  it  to  him  if  I  was'nt 
too  old  to  work,  and  if  I  was,  I'd  live  on  it  and  save 
him  the  expense  of  supporting  me  in  my  old  age — 
and  now  he's  dead  and  gone,  I  feel  like  doing  all  I 
can  for  Mistress  and  the  children,  and  I'll  keep  it  for 
the  same  purpose."  Such  instances  are  not  uncom 
mon  among  the  slaves  of  the  Southern  States — indeed 


61 

there  is  not  a  farm  or  plantation  of  a  humane  Mas 
ter  which  affords  not  similar  evidences  of  their  sin 
cere  esteem  for  their  owners.  Out  of  the  bosom  of 
his  own  family,  the  kind  master  finds  no  friends  who 
feel  a  more  lively  interest  in  his  prosperity  and  happi 
ness  than  his  slaves — in  health,  it  is  their  pleasure  to 
promote  his  welfare— in  sickness,  they  are  his  con 
stant  and  sympathizing  attendants,  and  at  his  grave, 
their  tears  and  lamentations  evince  the  sincerity  of 
their  affections,  in  terms  which  can  neither  be  descri 
bed  nor  forgotten.  And  do  not  such  instances  prove 
that  there  is  nothing  in  the  condition  of  bondage  cal 
culated  to  mar  the  peace  of  the  slave  ? 

However  repugnant  the  assertion  may  be  to  tho 
feelings  of  the  Abolitionists,  there  is  not  to  be  found 
among  the  laboring  class  of  freemen  in  any  quarter 
of  the  habitable  Globe,  such  a  proportion  of  cheerful 
happy  beings  as  our  slaves;  and  if  the  mad  and  brutal 
scheme  of  exporting  them  "to  the  home  of  their  fath 
ers"  were  now  to  be  executed,  their  tears  and  lamen 
tations  would  require  hearts  stouter  than  "  Southern 
Kidnappers"  to  witness  the  scene.  And  why  should 
their  happiness  be  marred  by  the  voice  of  an  evil 
spirit?  Why  should  they  be  pursuaded  to  murmur 
at  the  lot  which  a  merciful  Providence  assigned  their 
fathers  as  the  means  of  alleviating  their  cares  and 
their  wants,  and  the  cares  and  wants  of  their  posteri 
ty  ?  Why  should  the  most  brutal  and  unceasing  ef 
forts  be  made  to  alienate  their  affections  for  their  own 
ers,  who  are  indeed  their  best  and  onlv  friends  and 
protectors?— One  of  the  deepest  and  most  deadly 
schemes  of  insurrection  that  was  ever  devised  in  the 


South,  originated  with  the  poor  deluded  Blacks  of 
Camden,  who  were  pursuaded  that  their  condition  was 
similar  to  the  Israelites  when  oppressed  by  Pharoah, 
and  if  in  the  name  of  Israel's  God  they  would  make 
an  effort,  he  would  miraculously  deliver  them  from 
bondage.  Under  the  influence  of  this  base  and  delu 
sive  suggestion,  their  meetings  for  the  execution  of 
their  bloody  purposes,  were  opened  and  closed  with 
prayer.  The  plot  was  disclosed — its  deluded  leaders 
were  hung,  and  their  more  guilty  accomplices  esca 
ped  the  Gallows.  The  same  doctrine  is  now  preach 
ed,  and  in  despite  of  the  sacred  and  constituted  au 
thorities  of  God  and  our  Country,  it  has  been  affirm 
ed  again,  and  again,  as  the  truth  of  Heaven.  Our 
motives — our  principles — our  humanity — our  morali 
ty  and  our  patriotism  are  assailed  with  relentless  and 
unceasing  fury.  Members  of  the  same  confederacy— 
followers  of  the  same  Lord,  are  the  agents  of  these  sa- 
tannic  deeds — and  with  an  effrontery  that  bids  defi 
ance  to  truth  and  modesty,  they  have  attributed  that 
forbearance  which  rests  upon  the  conscious  integrity 
of  our  principles  and  the  affections  of  our  slaves,  "  tq 
a  servile  fear  of  realizing  their  vengeance." 

Should  the  question  be  asked,  why  are  "  holy  mm" 
thus  busy  in  the  Devil's  work  1  The  answer  is  at 
hand — it  is  to  effect  a  dissolution  of  the  Union  under 
the  specious  guise  of  philanthropy.  No  other  reason 
can  be  assigned ;  for  with  the  most  conclusive  evi 
dences  of  the  fact,  that  bondage  is  peculiarly  adapted 
to  the  com/ort  and  happiness  of  the  negro,  they  have 
assailed  the  institution,  with  a  recklessness  and  mal 
ice,  more  in  character  with  the  Huns  of  Barbarv,  thaia 


63 

\viththespirit  of  Christianity.  By  one  class,  the  word 
of  God  is  rejected  for  the  impurity  of  its  precepts,  and 
by  others,  it  is  perverted  to  the  purposes  of  their 
rebellious  schemes. 

"  If  usages  sanctioned  in  the  Old  Testament,"  says 
an  eminent  divine,"  and  not  forbidden  in  the  New,  are 
right  then  our  moral  code  will  undergo  a  sad  deterio 
ration  ;   for  Polygamy  was  allowed  to  the  Israelites, 
and  was  common  and  licensed  in  the  age  of  the  Apos 
tles."*     In  the  name  of  truth  and  morality  we  ask 
how  can  "  holy  men"  publish   such  barefaced  false 
hoods!     Where  in  the   writings  of  the  Immaculate 
Saviour  and  his  Apostles  is  POLYGAMY  justified  ?     A  nd 
where  is  the  authority  for  the   following  words  of  the 
Rev.  Gentleman — "  why  therefore  may  not  Scripture 
be  used  to  stock  our  houses  with  WIVES  as  wrell  as 
with  SLAVES!"     Well  may  "  humanity  blush"  at  such 
outrageous  declarations.     The  pious  and  learned  au 
thor  well  knows,  that  the  Saviour  and  his  Apostles 
have  no  where  told  us,  how  "  an  adulterer"  can  live  in 
the  crime  of  adultery,  and  go  to  Heaven — how  a 
"  blasphemer"  can  live  in  the  act  of  blaspheming,  and 
go  to  Heaven- — how  "  a  Liar  and  a  thief"  can  live  in 
the  act  of  lying   and  stealing,   and  go  to  Heaven- — 
but  they  have  told  us  how  "  slave  owners"  may  live 
in  what  the  Rev.  Gentleman  calls  "  the  accursed  sin 
of  slavery"  and  be  numbered  with  "  the  Saints  and 
faithful    Brethren"  of  Ephesus  and  Colosse,  at  the 
right  hand  of  God. 

These  specious  and  impious  declarations  but  too 

*  See  the  Rev.  Dr.  Channing's  work  on  Slavery,page  119,  the  sight  of  which  we  were 
not  farored  with  tntil  we  had  proceeded  thus  far  with  our  work, 


G4 

clearly  prove  the  position  we  have  assumed.  They 
exhibit  the  deadly  influence  of  prejudices  which  hare 
been  nurtured  for  many  years,  and  which  now  threat 
en  to  crush  the  temple  of  liberty  and  drench  our  coun 
try  with  the  blood  of  the  innocent.  In  the  illustration 
of  this  fact,  the  kindest  feelings  of  our  hearts  are 
brought  in  contact  with  duly.  We  revere  the  ashes 
of  the  dead — we  revere  the  names,  we  esteem  the 
characters  of  the  holy  men  of  whom  we  are  about  to 
speak,  as  cordially  as  do  their  dearest  friends,  and  we 
rejoice  to  believe,  that  having  seen  and  repented  of 
their  fallacious  opinions  of  bondage,  they  are  now 
reaping  the  reward  oftheir  pious  and  unparalleled  la 
bours  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord ;  but  duty,  imperi 
ous  duty  to  our  country  impels  us  to  advert  to  events  in 
their  lives,  which  our  inclination  would  fain  with 
hold. 

Many  years  ago  the  venerable  Bishops  Coke  and 
Asbury  published  a  pamphlet  on  slavery  which  com 
pelled  the  enlightened  and  benevolent  Legislature  of 
South  Carolina  to  pass  an  act  authorizing  any  persons 
to  repair  to  Methodist  meetings  and  disperse  the  ne 
groes,  whether  assembled  with  or  without  the  permis 
sion  of  their  owners.  The  act  was  justified  by  the1 
first  law  of  nature,  self-defence,  and  based  upon  the 
fact,  that  Methodism  at  that  period,  whether  at  the 
North  or  in  the  South  was  identified  with  the  most 
deadly  opposition, to  slavery.  It  continued  in  force, 
(and  with  the  utmost  propriety  too,)  until  the  ministers 
of  that  denomination  ceased  to  assail  the  institution  of 
bondage,  and  to  expel  the  members  oftheir  societies 
for  buying  and  selling  a  negro  under  any  circumstan- 


But  the  spirit  of  Abolitionism  thus  arrested  ii^5 
the  South,  was  still  cherished  in  the  North.  Immedi- 
atcly  after  the  discussion  of  the  Missouri  question 
which  convulsed  the  Union,  a  resolution  was  intro- 
ducedin  the  General  Conference  to  expel  the  members 
of  the  church  who  would  not  emancipate  their  slaves,,- 
T'ie  discussion  was  conducted  Svith  great  asperity ,- and 
ended  without  a  dissolution  of  the  union  of  the  socie 
ties,  with  the  utmost  difficulty,  A  few  years  after 
this,  the  General  Conference  received  a  letter  from' 
the  British  Conference  by  the  hand  of  their  delegate/ 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Reese,  desiring  an  interchange  of  visits 
as  brethren  of  one  iiamo  and  household,  and  tendering 
copies  of  their  theological  works  for  their  press  The 
delegate  w as  cordially  greeted,  and  a  resolution  pass 
ed,  directing  the  Bishops  to  elect  and  send  a  delegate 
to  the  ensuing  British  Conference  in  London.  They 
met  at  the  time  and  place  appointed  and  ballotted 
again,  and  again,  Bishops  McKendree  aiid  Soule,- 
voting  for  a  Southern,  and  Bishops  fledcling  and 
George  for  a  Northern  delegate — the  former  contend 
ing  for  their  favorite  on  the  score  of  pre-eminent  quali 
fications,-  and  the  latter  esteeming  it  an  outrage  to  send 
a  slave-owner  in  the  robes  of  a  minister  to  "  the  land- 
of  liberty,"  refused  to  vote  for  him.  They  adjourned 
without  making  an  election,  and  at  the  ensuing  Gener 
al  Conference,  the  slave-owner  was  elected,  r'eteivmg 
but  one  vote  North  6f  the  Potomac.  At  the  last  Gen-' 
eral  Conference,  the  same  spirit  of  hostility  prevailed 
so  far  as  to  exclude  a  slave-owner  from  the  Episcopal 
Office,  and  though  Resolutions  were  passed,  disappro*- 
bating  the  course  of  the  Abolitionists,  those  Resohi> 

I 


If!  titi 

tions,  like  the  INAUGURAL  of  Mr.  Van  Buren,  had 
word  too  many  to  disprove  our  position,  or  check  the 
career  of  the  bloody  host.  *  They  were  introduced 
with  the  words, "  we  disapprove  of  MODERN  aboli 
tionism,"  an  implication  as  clear  as  mathematical  de 
monstration,  that  they  approved  of  ANCIENT  aboli 
tionism  ;  aftd  if  there  be  any  difference  between  anci 
ent  and  ?7wdern  abolftionism,  save  the  abstract  question 
of  ways  an<f  means  to  effect  both,  we  have  yet  to  dis 
cover  it.  This  was  evidently  the  construction  placed 
on  the  Resolutions  by  the  Northern  Ministers,  as  we 
are  informed  several  of  them  Ira ve  &inee  become  mem 
bers  of  the  Abolition  Society.  Quite  in  character 
with  these  Resolutions  was  the  address  of  Bishops 
Hedding  and  Emory  to  the  Ministers  of  the  New- 
Hampshire  Conference.  It  contained  the  kindest  ex 
pressions  of  concern  for  the  peace  and  safety  of  their 
brethren  in  the  South,  while  on  its  front  was  impressed 
the  sweeping  declaration"- neither  the  New-Testament 
Scriptures,  nor  the  preaching  ainJ  practice  of  our  Lord 
and  his  Apostles  were  ever  designed  to  justify  slavery." 
This  being  the  corner  stone  of  the  great  Abolitiog 
Templef  the  address  was-  hailed  as  a  license  for  seven- 

*  $It.  Van  Buren'in  his  Iriftujmral,  pledged  himself  not  to  itive  his  CONSTITUTFONAI.. 
sanction  to  any  Bill  conflicting  with  the  institution  of  slavery.-  Why  was  the  word  cov 
STITUTION-AL  prefixedTo  its  substantive,  but  to  render  die  pent&rfre  more  ainbigior.s  and 
Jess  explicit  ?  We  wish  it  had  been  KXPUNGED,  for  the  President  is  quite  lawyer  enough 
to  know,  that  no  Bill  conflicting  with  the  domestic  institutions  of  the  South  can  be 
' -O,N  STATION  AL — nevertheless,  should  such  an  one  be  passedin  accordance  \\iihthe' 
schemes  and  wishes  of  the  Abolitionists,  he  has  taken  speeitri  cure  not  to  pledge  hiror 
self  to  gives  it  his  UNCONSTITUTIONAL  sanction.  Whvin  the  plain,  simple  words  of  hon 
est  canfiori  did  he  not  tell  us  tiiat  no  such  Bill  would  ever  receive  his  sanction — that  he 
would  put  his  VETO  oriit'?  Is*  there  an  orthodox  Jeffersonian  Republican,  er  a  genuine 
friend  of  the  South  and  of  the  Union,  who  could  refuse  to  do  so  ?  Who  but  the  Aboli- 
•ionists,  would  have  beeJi^ofTended  at  such  a  declaration  ? 


iy  of  the  ministers  of  that  Conference  to  form  an 
Abolition  Society.  *  To  these  facts,  we  add  the  anti* 
.slavery  law  in  the  moral  code  of  the  Church,  which 
was  annulled  nearly  thirty  years  ago,  hut  carefully  pre 
served  and  exhibited  in  every  new  edition  of  the  Dis 
cipline,  as  a  monument  of  the  hostility  of  the  North 
ern  Methodists  to  the  institution  of  bondage. 

Let  not  the  confinement  of  our  remarks  on  this  sub 
ject  exclusively  to  the  Methodists,  be  attributed  to  a 
want  of  respect  or  affection  for  them.  Our  dearest 
friends  are  Methodists— r-the  kindest  feelings  of  our 
hearts  are  with  them — and  'ere  we  shall  refuse  to  share 
our  last  brown  loaf  with  the  way-faring  Itinerant,  who 
as  he  goes  forth  sowing  the  seed  of  life  broadcast  o'er 
the  earth,  takes  care  to  let  some  fall  by  the  door  of 
the  negro  hut,  we  trust  we  shall  cease  to  breathe.  Our 
remarks  have  been  exclusively  applied  to  them,  be 
cause  we  are  intimately  acquainted  with  the  history  of 
no  other  church.  Facts  quite  as  conclusive,  can 
doubtless  be  deduced  from  others,  and  we  have  this 
day  been  informed  by  a  very  worthy  and  eminent  min 
ister  of  the  Presbyterian  denomination,  that  the  Sy 
nod  of  Ohio  have  recently  passed  a  resolution,  abne 
gating  all  fellowship  and  communion  with  the  Presby 
terians  of  the  South,  who  will  refuse  to  co-operate 
with  them  in  "  the  benevolent  schemes  of  emancipa 
tion."  We  have  deduced  the  facts  under  an  honest 
conviction  of  duty  to  our  country,  and  we  submit  them 
as  evidences  of  the  deep  rooted  prejudices  which  have 
existed  for  more  than  half  a  century,  against  an  insti 
tution,  sanctioned  by  the  word  of  God  and  the  Con 
stitution  of  the  United  States. 

*  See  "  the  South  vindicate  1  from  thfi  Trea~o  i  and  Fanaticism  of  the  Abefltion 
'•fits  "  page  193. 


68 

And  with  such  evidences  of  deadly  hostility  to 
ihe  institution  of  slavery  since  the  adoption  of  the 
federal  Constitution,  why  have  its  advocates  refused 
]Lo  organize— why  were  not  Abolition  societies 
formed  until  about  four  years  ago  ?  Have  our  statesr 
men  thought  of  this  matter  ?  Have  they  been  perus 
ing  the  vindictive  essays  of  Northern  Fanatics  for  the 
past  fjfty  years,  without  an  inquiry  into  the  cause  of 
their  recent  efforts  jn  forming  societies  and  rallying  their 
forces  ?  Have  they  asked  themselves  the  question, 
why,  long  ere  this,  they  made  no  efforts  to  exhibit 
their  wealth,  their  talent,  and  their  numbers,  and  to 
shake  the  temple  of  Liberty  with  the  thuaders  of  an 
pmbattled  Host  ?  These  important  questions,  demand 
at  this  crisis,  the  most  serious  attention  of  every  friend 
pf  the  Union.  There  is  a  cause  for  the  recent  efforts 
of  the  Abolitionists  ;  it  should  be  thoroughly  investi 
gated  ;  and  that  cause  must  be  removed,  or  the  effects 
of  their  bloody  purposes  will  be  realized,  ero  we  ex 
pect  them. 

For  our  self?  we  have  no  hesitation  in  bringing  our 
views  before-  the  public  and  the  more  so,  because  we 
cannot  be  personally  benefitted  by  the  act.  Our  sphere 
in  life,  is  an  humble  one — -we  aspire  to  no  other — we 
have  sought  no  other — arid  before  God  and  our 

O  • 

country  we  say,  that  political  honors  or  preferment  are 
objects  beneath  our  personal  esteem ;  nevertheless  we 
hope  we  shall  cease  to  live,  ere  we  cease  to  cherish 
the  pure  "  apwr  patri.cc  "  of  a  patriot.  The  ardor  with 
which  we  have  nurtured  this  principle,  has  frequently 
brought  us  in  contact  with  our  interest  and  our  friends. 


t>9 

and  in  no  one  instance  of  our  life  has  it  been  more 
painfully  exemplified,  than  in  the  frank  expression  of 
our  opinions  of  the  doctrines  of  the  memorable  Proc 
lamation  and  Force  Bill.  Hundreds,  in  whose  hands 
we  hcpe  these  pages  may  fall,  heard  us  denounce  them 
as  doctrines  that  would  move  the  Abolitionists  to  con 
cert  and  action.  In  justification  of  this'sentiment  we 
stated  that  the  deadly  hostility  of  a  Host  against  slave 
ry,  would  have  impelled  them  to  concert  and  action 
long  since,  but  the  dread  of  the  old  Constitutional 
doctrine  of  State  Sovereignty,  which  they  now  saw 
prostrated  at  the  feet  of  the  Chief  Magistrate,  quelled 
their  rage.  We  spoke  of  the  hostility  o  f  the  Tariff 
men,  of  their  jealous  and  deadly  spleen,  and  predicted 
that  they  would  immediately  enlist  a  Clerical  host  to 
decry  the  institution  of  slavery,  and  crush  the  South 
under  the  weight  of  the  Proclamation.  We  adverted 
to  the  fears  of  the  illustrious  Jefferson  that  the  subject 
of  slavery  would  one  day  be  used  as  an  engine  of  de 
struction  to  the  Union,  and  but  for  the  interposition  of 
the  Virginia  and  Kentucky  resolutions,  we  would  long 
ago  have  been  assailed  by  enemies  within  our  own  bor 
ders,  who  dared  not  move  in  the  face  of  those  resolu 
tions,  We  told  them  the  die  was  now  cast ;  those 
resolutions  were  now  defunct ;  the  states  were  no^r 
stripped  of  their  Reserved  Rights  ;  they  had  neither 
the  povyer  to  resist  the  enforcement  of  an  unconstitu 
tional  Jaw,  *  nor  to  judge  of  their  own  greivances  ; 
they  had  delegated  that  power,  together  with  their 
Sovereign  Rights  to  their  Agent,  the  General  Govern* 
ment,  and  whatever  the  majority  of  Congress  should 
say  was  Constitutional  Law,  the  minority  was  bound 


t.o  submit  to,  T'hose  wo  maintained  to  be  the  plain, 
simple  deductions  of  the  Proclamation,  deductions 
that  would  license  the  action  of  a  rebellious  spirit 
which  had  long  been  lurking  in  the  bosom  of  our  coun 
try  ;  deductions  that  would  sever  the  only  bond  which 
secured  the  perpetuity  of  the  Union.  We  stated  that 
GeneralJackson'.s  construction  of  the  powers  Vested 
in  the  Agent  of  the  States,,  was  perfectly  in  character 
with  the  views  of  the  old  Federalists  who  were  mem-» 
hers  of  the  Convention  which  framed  the  Constitution: 
and  in  support  of  this  fact  we  adduced  the  following 
Resolutions  from  the  Journals  of  the  Convention. 

<•  Resolution  01  Mr.  Chuik^  Pmckaey — Resolved  that  the  Legis 
lature  of  the  United  States  have  power  to  revise  the  laws  of  the  sev 
eral  States,  that  may  be  suppossd  to  infringe  the  power  exclusively 
delegated  by  this  Constitution  to  Congress,  and  to  negative  and  an- 
mil  such  as  do." 

44  Resolution  of  Mr.  Patterson — Resolved,  if  any  State,  or  body  oi' 
men  in  any  State,  shall  oppose  or  prevent  the  carrying  into  execu 
tion  Acts,  or  Treaties  of  the  Union,  the  Federal  Executive  shall  be 
authorized  to  call  forth  the  powers  of  the  Confederated  States,  or  so 
much  thereof,  as  shall  be  necessary  to  enforce  or  compel  the  obedi 
enee  to  such  acts,  or  observance  to  such  treaties." 

"  Resolution  of  General  Hamilton — Resolved,  that  all  laws  of  the 
^articular  States,  contrary  to  the  Constitution  or  Laws  of  the  United 
States,  be  utterly  void  ;  and  the  better  to  prevent  such  laws  being 
passed,  the  Governor  or  President  of  each  state  shall  be  appointed  by 
the  General  Government,  and  shall  have  a  negative  on  the  laws  about 
to  be  passed,  in  which  he  is  Governor  or  President-" 

"  Resolution  of  Governor  Randolph — Resolved,  that  the  President 
of  the  United  States  be  vested  with  power  to  negative  all  laws  con 
trary,  in  the  opinion  of  the  National  Legislature,  to  the  articles  of 
the  Union,  or  any  treaty  subsisting  under  the  authority  of  the  Un 
ion  :  and  to  call  forth  the  forces  of  the  Union,  against  any  member 
of  the  Union  failing  to  fulfil  its  duty  under  the  articles  thereof." 

We  stated  that  these,  resolutions  were  introduced  in 


•l 

the  Convention  lor  the  special  purpose  of  clothing  the 
President  of  the  United  States  with  power  to  do,  what 
General  Jackson  assumed  the  authority  to  do,  viz — to 
strip  the  states  of  their  Sovereign  Rights  and  coerce 
their  submission  to  the  will  of  the  General  Government 
— and  in  the  face  of  such  resolutions,  advocated  by 
the  Federalists  of  the  old  school  t*nd  rejected  by  a  large 
majority  of  the  Revolutionary  Republicans  of  the 
Convention,  the  General's  arbitrary  assumption  of  pow 
er  could  only  be  attributed  to  his  cordial  approbation  ol' 
the  exploded  doctrines  of  the  old  Federalists  and  advo 
cates  of  a  consolodated  despotism.  We  offered  it  as 
our  opinion  that  Gen.  Jackson  was  not  the  author  of 
the  Proclamation ;  that  some  artful  advocate  of  the 
Tariff  penned  it,  and  we  would  soon  see  the  baneful 
effects  of  its  Anti-Republican  principles.  For  these 
remarks  made  in  the  face  of  the  foregoing  resolutions. 
we  were  reviled  ana1  anathematized  in  epitWfets  more 
profane  than  "  an  old  Piney  Woods  traitor."  And 
now  in  view  of  the  desolation  with  which  our  country 
is  threatened,  and  in  sight  of  all  the  horrors  of  acivij 
and  servile  war,  we  ask,  not  with  feelings  of  exulta 
tion — no  God  forbid  ;  we  ask  with  emotions  of  deep 
heart-rending  grief,  who  spoke  the  truth  on  this  sub 
ject?  We  Jntreat  our  fellow  citizens  to  look  at  the 
calamities  with  which  our  country  is  threatened,  and 
impute  the  causes,  if  they  can,  to  any  thing  but  tlu; 
doctrines  of  the  Proclamation  and  Force  Bill. 

When  the  Proclamation  was  published,  there  was 
not  an  organized  party  of  Abolitionists  in  the  United 
States,  At  that  time,  thev  were  sneered  at  as  •• ;»  f;^v 


tiiis'erable  fanatics."  Who,  says  the  Editor  of  a  Hi  - 
MAN  RIGHTS  "  in  his  paper  of  the  past  year — 

"Who 'does  not  remember  the  ridicule  that  was 
thrown  upon  the  handful  of  Fanatics  in  Boston  three 
years  ago  ;  upon  the  twenty-two  men  and  two  wo 
men  in  New-York,  two  years  ago  ;  upon  the  fifty  or 
sixty  men  who  met  in  Philadelphia  a  year  and  a  half 
ago  ;  what  a  fine  joke  it  was  that  such  a  handful  should 
meet  to  form  an  American  Abolition  Society  ?  Now 
this  same  society  numbers  250  Auxiliaries  in  13  States. 
A  few  pens,  a  few  tracts,  a  few  periodicals,  a  few  lim 
ited  agencies  have  electrified  the  nation,  and  already 
stirred  up  a  mighty  Host  to  plead  for  the  oppressed. 
Our  cause  is  rapidly  getting  the  supremacy  ;  it  has  re 
ceived  accession  of  wealth,  of  talent,  and  of  uncon 
querable  zeal,  that  insures  its  speedy  triumph/'* 

Rapidly  indeed  is  their  cause  gaining  ascendency, 
for  since  tfie  publication  of  this  article  18  months  ago, 
their  organized  associations  have  increased  to  1000, 
comprising  men  of  the  most  unconquerable  Zeal,  and 
more  wealth  than  our  Revolutionary  Fathers  commenc 
ed  their  struggle  with.  "  Fifty  thousand  copies  of  the 
niost  inflammable  and  treasonable  matter  are  published 
weekly  and  gratuitously  distributed,  and  a  party  have 
already  proposed  to  haVe  20,000  followers  in  the  City 
of  New- York  and  nominate  its  Candidate  for  the 
Presidency  of  the  United  States."  f 

In  the  face  of  these  facts  and  the  innumerable  evi 
dences  of  the  long  cherished  hostility  of  the  Aboli 
tionists  to  the  institution  of  bondage,  will  any  mair 

*  St-e'*the  South  vindicated  from  the  Treason  and  Fanaticism  of  the  Northcn. 
Abolitionists— page  191.  t  See  the  same  work  page  79. 


say  tliey  have  not  been  recently  impelled  to  action  by 
some  mighty  impetus  ?  And  'what  but  the  doctrines 
of  the  Proclamation,  have  moved  them  to  action! 
While  they  believed  that  the  States  would  exercise 
their  Reserved  Rights  in  opposing  any  Act  of  Con 
gress  conflicting  with  theirdomestic  institutions,  they 
made  no  effort  whatever  to  rally  their  forces  and  ob 
tain  ascendency  in  Congress;  but  when  the  President 
announced  the  States  subservient  to  the  will  of  the 
National  Legislature,  and  ordered  his  Frigates  and 
Army  to  enforce  an  unrighteous  and  unconstitutional 
law,  against  which  prayers  and  remonstrances  had  fol 
lowed  in  succession  for  years,  that  day  gave  birtli  to 
schemes  and  purposes  which  now  convulse  the  Union. 
The  fact  cannot  be  denied  that  the  Abolitionis  s  are 
determined  to  gain  the  ascendency  in  the  Anti-slavery 
States  and  control  the  elective  franchises  of  the  same. 
For  this  purpose  they  have  enlisted  two  hundred  trav 
elling  agents,  who  go  forth  "  conquering  and  to  con 
quer,"  In  addition  to  their  treasonable  pamphlets; 
they  take  with  them 

'*  Pictures  of  slaves  in  chains,  with  the  negro's  complaint  in 
Poetry." 

4*  Anti-Slavery  Handkerchiefs,  ornamented  with  four  cuts  and 
Extracts  from  the  Slave's  Friend,  printed  with  indelibfe  ink." 

II  Anti-Slavery  Seals,   giving  a  fair  impress  of  a  slave  in  chains 
on  sealing  wax  &n.  &c.  &c."  * 

III  a  work  entitled  "  the  South  vindicated  from  the 
Tieason  and   Fanaticism  of  the  Northern  Abolition 
ists  "published  in  Philadelphia,  these  and  such   other 
facts  are  exhibited,  as  should  make  the    advocates  of 
the  Proclamation  and  Force  Bill,  blush  and  weep, 

•¥  See  '« South  Vindicated  &c."  poge  197. 

J 


74 

4 

The  work  has  been  imputed  to  the  pen  of  Col.  Wni 
Drayton,  formerly  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  but 
for  the  past  four  years  a  citizen  of  Philadelphia.     Col 
Drayton' s  character  as  a  scholar,  a  statesman,  a  pat 
riot  and  a   "Union   man,"  entitles   the   work  to  the 
confidence  of  every  friend  of  the  Union.     It   embo 
dies  300  pages,  from  which  we   have  already   taken 
extracts  and  to  which  we  beg  leave  to  add  the  follow 
ing. 

"  It  is  impossible  that  any  reasoning  man  can  contemplate  the 
resources  and  activity  of  the  Abolitionists  and  wonder  at  their  pro 
gress.  It  is  impossible  that  any  patriot  can  view,  in  connection, 
their  past  success,  their  present  energies  and  activity,  and  their  fu 
ture  prospects,  without  coming  to  the  conclusion,  that  cither  this 
band  of  traitors  must  be  crushed,  or  the  Union  abandoned.  Thev 
cannot  exist  together." 

"  Let  the  South  look  to  it.  We  have  already  demonstrated  that 
the  advocates  of  abolition  are  neither  few  nor  feeble  ;  that  they  are 
\Vealthy,  powerful  and  united:  possessed  of  a  number  of  influen 
tial  presses  ;  and  led  on  by  men  whose  intemperate  zeal  is  only 
equalled  by  their  untiring  energy.  Their  strength  is  despised,  be 
cause  it  is  not  known.  Let  him  that  takes  an  interest  in  this  mat 
ter  examine  the  open  evidence  of  facts  ;  let  him  observe  the  extend 
ed  and  insidious  operation  of  Presses,  Agents  and  Societies ;  let 
him  mark  the  progress  and  results  of  these  efforts  for  the  last  four 
years  ;  and  then  if  he  is  still  secure,  he  may  sleep  on,  until  he  is 
roused  by  the  glare  of  the  midnight  conflagration,  or  startled  b) 
the  whoop  of  the  negro  at  the  door  of  his  chamber." 

'*  A  few  years  ago  it  was  announced  in  the  Emancipator  "  slave 
ry  will  never  he  abolished  until  it  is  done  by  THE  SWORD  or 
the  fear  of  THE  SWORD— Me  slaves  trill  soon  be  free."  This 
was  then,  and  is  now  their  policy.  They  cry  ptace^  peace,  but  pur 
sue  a  course  which  is  designed  to  end  and  must  end  (unless  the 
South  erect  herself  and  interpose  the  only  shield  which  can  ward 
off  the  blow,)  in  a  servile  war,  and  render  the  whole  South  a  Pan 
demonium,  from  which  the  shout  of  exulting  rapine,  and  the  shriek 


75 

.-qt*  murder  and  violeuce  will  go  forth.  We  repeat,  THE  ABOLI 
TIONISTS  MUST  BE  CRUSHED,  OR  THE  UNION  ABAN 
DONED." 

With  these  stubborn  facts  in  the  face  of  the  world, 
and  in  the  face  of  the  Representatives  of  the  people 
•f  the  United  States  in  Congress  assembled,  Mr.  Wise 
of  Virginia  raised  the  all  important  question,  whether 
any  set  of  men  had  the  right  to  petition  the  Govern 
ment  to  do  what  the  Constitution  said  it  could  not  do. 
and  should  not  do — in  other  words,  whether  the  Abo 
litionists  had  the  Constitutional  Right  to  petition  Gov 
ernment  to  take  away  the  property  of  its  citizens  and 
to  grant  them  license  to  create  a  servile  war  that  must 
end  in  the  dissolution  of  the  Union.  This  question  on 
which  was  suspended  the  very  life-blood  *>f  Aboli 
tionism  and  the  salvation  of  the  Union,  roused  the  vin 
dictive  passions  of  the  advocates  of  the  Tarriff,  the 
Proclamation,  and  Force  Bill,  who  united  and  voted 
it  down  by  a  majority  of  48. 

Fellow  citizens  of  the  South,  look  to  this  matter. 
Your  rights,  your  liberty,  your  all  is  at  stake.  It.  15 
not  our  purpose  to  enter  the  arena  of  political  discus 
sion,  nor  to  offer  you  reasons  why  the  party  in  the  mi* 
noritij  on  the  question  of  " the  right  oj  Petition*' 
were  classed  with  "  the  Catalines  and  Robespierres. 
Arnolds  and  Burrs  of  notorious  villany  "*  for  their 
honest  opposition  to  the  doctrines  of  the  Proclama 
tion  and  Force  Bill,  and  why  the  said  "  Traitors"  and 
opponents  of  the  Prociamtion  and  Force  Bill,  were 
the  only  oponents  of  the  TREASONABLE  '  PRAYERS  of 
the  Abolitionists.  We  leave  this  to  those  better  qnali 

*  "  See  tho  Federal  Union  "  December  I8^>  and  others. 


re 

tied,  to  the  statesmen  of  our  country  whose  duty  it  is* 
but  we  entreat  you  to  examine  "  the  open  evidence  of 
faj&s"  which  we  lay  before  you — facts  which  have 
been  deduced  under  a'i  imperious  sense  of  duty  to  God 
and  our  country,  and  which  we  would  have  rejoiced 
to  have  seen  presented  by  some  abler  hand. 

It  is  a  tiuth,  a  most  appalling  iiicoiitroierti  bk* 
truth*  that  the  Abolitionists  already  wield  a  powerful 
influence  in  Congress — that  they  are  determined  to 
obtain  the  supremacy — then  to  pass  a  law  of  general 
emancipation — then  to  coerce  the  states  to  submission 
peaceably,  if  they  can  by  the  doctrines  of  the  Procla 
mation  and  Force  Bill,  otherwise,  by  virtue  of  the 
sword.  Mark  die  words  of  our  own  illustrious  Dray  ton, 
"unless  the  Smith,  erect  herself  and  interpose  the  *mly 
xfiield  that  can  ward  off  the  blow,  ere  long  the  shout 
of  exulting  rapm*  wil/  go  forlh,  and  t/;<"  shriek  of 
murder  and  vioteuce,  be  heard  in  Heavui"  Where 
is  that  Shield — the  -shield  of  State  St:vmi<rntt/ — to 
Liberty  mid  the  Union,  the  only  "  Helmet  of  !$alra- 
tion?"  Ask  where  it  is  ?  where  is  that  skidd  that  is 
u  to  ward  off  the  fatal  blow  ?"  and  echo  from  the  dark 
est  page  of  your  country's  Records  will  tell  you,  the 
Proclamation  and  Force  Bill  have  torn  from  the  States, 
the  sacred  bequest  of  our  Fathers. — Behold  members 
of  one  Confederacy,  followers  of  one  Lord,  (locking 
to  "  the  .Banner  of  Liberty"  on  which  is  engraven 
the  crimson  m otto,  "K ncll  shall '' be,  tolled  on  Kn,efl, 
J&edrse  follow  IL-ar*e,  and  C tiffin  ramble  <m  Coj/in, 
until  Ike  last  s?.«r/y  slave- owner  shall  s>nf  1o  Ins  slave 
depart  to  Africa  the  home  of  thy  Fathers" — ask-  why 
this  embattled  Host  1  and  they  will  tell  you,  »o  to  the 


Proclamation  and  Force  Bill,  and  from  them  you  shall 
learn  that  the  citizens  of  a  Sovereign  State  at  the 
peril  of  their  lives,  dare  not  arrest  the  enforcement  oi' 
a  law  passed  by  a  majority  of  Congress. 

Alas !  for  those  doctrines — those  instruments  of 
destruction  to  Constitutional  Liberty.  But  thanks, 
unfeigned  thanks  to  Heaven,  the  calamities  with  which 
they  threaten  us,  are  suspended  for  a  season  Our; 
country  may  yet  be  saved  from  the  destroying  '•  An 
gels  of  M<  /v-y"' — the  South  may  yet  be  rescued  from 
the  vengeance  of  a  "  Godly  Host."  She  has  friends 
in  the  North — friends  who  breathe  the  spirit  of 
Liberty — friends  who  have  been  nurtured  in  the  genu 
ine  principles  of  Jeffersonian  State  Sovereignty— 
friends  who  are  rea>|vto  risk  their  all  in  defence  of 
her  Constitutional  Rights  and  the  perpetuity  of  the 
U;  ion.  Let  her  own  sons  be  true  to  her  honor  and 
integrity,  and  all  will  yet  be  well.  Let  the  voice  of 
her  rights  and  wrongs  be  heard  throughout  her  borders, 
and  let  not  her  Priests  refuse  to  respond.  No— let 
them  remember  that  when  Adonijah  usurped  the  doniiu* 
ion  of  Israel,  and  seized  the  treasures  of  the  people 
and  feasted  his  minions,  and  threatened  proscription 
and  h(tlter<  for  all  who  refused  to  bow  to  his  will  and 
share  his  spoils,  ZADOCK  and  NATHAN,  «•  Priests  oi 
the  living  God,"  were  the  first  to  call  upon  the  Tribed 
of  Israel  to  rise  in  the  majesty  of  their  Covenant 
lights,  and  Israel's  Rights,  and  put  down  the  Usurp 
er. — L.et  the  Standard  of  State  Sorc-eignty  be  one* 
more  uplifted — let  every  man  be  determined  that  the 
South  shall  present  one  undivided,  formidable  front— t 
that  her  Legislative  Hails  shall  be  filled  with  the  ad- 


vocates  of  the  Reserved  Rights  of  the  States— that 
her  Representatives  in  the  next  Congress  shall  be  men, 
who  will  unite  with  her  friends  in  the  North,  in  restor 
ing  to  the  States  their  SOVEREIGN  POWERS— 
then  will  the  prayers  and  anathemas  of  our  "  Godlif' 
enemies  cease  to  be  heard — then  will  our  Nati  nal 
maladies  be  healed,  and  our  country  once  more  free 
from  the  grasp  of  a  despotic  construction  of  her  rights 
will  again  be  hailed  as  "the  pride  of  nations  and  the 
glory  of  the  world."  But  reverse  the  scene — fill  her 
councils  with  the  votaries  of  "  the  right  of  Petition'' 
— "the  Sovereignty  of  the  Government" — and  "the 
subordination  of  the  States" — let  these  doctrines  b^ 
maintained,  and  the  day  is  not  far  distant,  when  the 
Abolitionists  will  enact  a  law,Xhe  enforcement  of 
which  will  cause  our  cities  to  be  demolished,  our  fields 
laid  waste,  and  our  rivers  reddened  with  the  blood 
of  our  wives  and  children. 

FINIS. 


JBRRATUM. 

Page  36,  llth  line  from  top.  for  distinction  read 
distribution. 


14  DAY  USE 

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